Wisconsin Watsons

FINALLY!!!!

2010-11-02T13:28:00.001-07:00

Well, we have all moved to Arkansas, so with that, I'm changing our blog address to arkansaswatsons@blogspot.com if you want to check us out! Please add me to your private blogs. Thanks!

I'm going to have the Change the Title of My Blog

2010-05-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

A quick rundown of the last couple of months....first my grandmother in Idaho passed away from pnuemonia. She will be greatly missed. It was a nice trip to see my family and some of Dave's family. The babies above are Dave and Marianne's. (Two out of the Three Triplets) I spent time with our good friends, Chris and Kristen....Liz...Dave's parents...and lots of time with all my siblings and some of their spouses and my parents.
Here we are at the grave site. It is a beautiful spot.

Todd totally photo-bombed here...

Here we all are...

We had a great day out...just the girls...a little shopping and a little lunch.

Then, Tommy, Bella, and Jane had their adnoids out and turbinates reduced. (Bella also had her tonsils out) And that took about 2 weeks to recover from that. Right after that, I had a vein burst in my head, which took a couple of weeks to recover from that.

Then for those of you who haven't heard yet....Dave took a job with Sam's Club, which means we can no longer be the "Wisconsin Watsons" but the "Arkansas Watsons." (And that name really sounds horrible so I'll have to come up with a totally different name altogether.) We are very excited for the whole adventure. We have loved Wisconsin in so many ways, but are ready to venture on. Maybe this will inspire me to blog more. I've been remiss lately!

We took a trip down to Arkansas last weekend with the whole family. Since I'm not flying (because of the brain bleed), Tommy, Jane and I drove down. It was really fun because we were listening to "Hunger Games" on audio, until Jane and I started throwing up....which is only good because now I really know there is nothing that will burst in my head anytime soon.

Other than Bella, Tommy, and Michael each taking a turn puking in the hotel, it was a fun visit. We bought a house, so we'll be moving down there as soon as school is out. Sam's club is packing and moving us, so it shouldn't been too hard. Has anyone noticed that Dave and I don't stay put for very long???? Kohls has been a great company to work for...and I will miss the discount, but Sam's will be a great opportunity for Dave, it's hard to pass up.

The Weird Things the Watsons do!

2010-03-11T19:15:00.001-08:00

Jane's typical, "don't look at me face", But really, how can you not stare?
Should we bring the mullet back?
I ask you... who DOESN'T pull out Halloween wigs just for fun?

Jane loved her "princess hair"

Admit it, she looks a little like the original "Annie"

More Cheerleading and Gymnastics

2010-03-11T19:08:00.001-08:00

Rachel completed 6 classes of gymnastics and in that time learned a back-hip circle, front and back walkovers, one-handed cartwheel off the beam, back hand spring, splits, and more. Now if she could only learn to vault....

Here she is doing the back-hip circle.

Bella is quite the little cheerleader. Her favorite part is the stunts and the half-time dance.

What We Are Doing This Winter to Keep the Blues Away!

2010-02-22T10:09:00.001-08:00

You can't really see her, but Rachel is doing gymnastics. It is a great little place we found. The coach is a REAL coach. Meaning (to me) that he is a demanding coach. They do a lot of conditioning, drills, and he expects them to progress fast. He is a previous Olympic coach for the Chinese team. In five weeks, (only going once a week) Rachel can do a back hip circle on the bar, a back-hand spring, vaulting skills, and a cart-wheel on the beam. I hope she continues to like it. I know I love watching it!
Bella is doing cheerleading. She likes it okay, but probably won't sign up again next year. She wishes she was in gymnastics instead. But she is doing really well in the sport. She even cheered for one of Tommy's games which was a real cool thing.

Jane gets dragged everywhere we go. She just likes to go along with the flow. She really likes to go to her "Princess Class" which is the YMCA daycare when I go to my classes. Hee Hee.

Well, Tommy is in there somewhere. I just couldn't get a good shot. They are always moving! He is having a good year. Dave and I had to talk him into playing, and I'm so glad we did. His team is undefeated. Tommy plays a mean defence and always manages at least one basket a game.

Michael is also doing a intro to basketball class and swim lessons at the YMCA, but I don't have pictures for him.

As a mom, there is nothing I enjoy more than watching my kids participate in these types of activities. They are such a great experience all around.

Valentines' Day

2010-02-22T10:02:00.001-08:00

What IS it about Valentines' Day? Some people love it and some people hate it. I personally love it. I just think it shouldn't be blown out of proportion. Little sweet notes to say "I love you" is always a good thing....given with a piece of chocolate doesn't hurt either.
Jane is all about Princesses. If I want her to eat her soup, I tell her it is "Princess Soup." If I want her to sit in her car seat, it is a "Princess Car Seat" etc.

I think Michael loved Valentines' Day the most. He REALLY loves people. There were SO many special Valentines' from Michael. He really agonized over two girls in his class....which one should he marry...?

Rachel is a little jaded already about love...she just likes the candy supply she brings home.

What the Watsons Do on a Saturday Night

2010-01-17T17:50:00.001-08:00

Just proof they were wearing suits...

Finally Posted...Christmas at the Watsons 2009

2010-01-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

This year it was hard to know what to get Tommy for Christmas. He wanted an I-Touch, but he already has too many gadgets in my opinion, so we got him what every 13 year old boy dreams of....an old engine. Those of you who know Tommy well, know this was better than an I-Touch for him. It is a 1965 Ford Mustang original engine. He and Dave and already taken it mostly apart. They are cleaning all the parts and are going to clean them up and sell them, so they can buy another engine to fix up and keep. Tommy is having a blast with the project and even has his own blog documenting his fun. (His mother doesn't see what all the fuss is, but he tells me it is great)

AHHHH....sisters!

Bella was all cosy-ed up!

Rachel LOVED her doll that looks just like her.

Going out for a romp in the snow with our fun neighbor, Maia!

Traditional Watson (started at the Williamsons') line-up on Christmas morning. Youngest to Oldest run down the stairs to tear into their stockings.

We hung our stockings in the front room this year. I've always wanted to have the 'traditional' stocking hang. Looks like a picture, doesn't it?

Jane has not taken off this shirt since she got it. She is a 'princess' queen!

Christmas Eve Eve

2009-12-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of families in our ward were our family this year. We had a great time playing games and eating WAY too much!
We played "I Never Ever Ever...." which is a new favorite from Aunt Liz.

We played Telephone Charades...

Michael's Birthday (my baby is 6!)

2009-12-24T15:45:00.001-08:00

Michael likes nothing more than to dress up and BE a character. So for his birthday he got clone stuff.
It was the last day of school before winter break....sorry, CHRISTMAS break! So he thought it was pretty neat to have a party on his birthday.

Okay, so I forgot candles! I told him he needed to practice subtracting..8-2=6 which is how old he is. Michael just told us he was glad to be 82 and the oldest one in the house, so he could boss us around.

Thanksgiving in Utah!

2009-12-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

Mom Janet treated us girls to lunch. We had a fabulous day shopping and gabbing, and maybe a little accident happened, but mum's the word!

No comment.

Jane and her best bud, Ally. They did not stop playing the entire time. I never saw Michael either. He was with his cousins, Jack, Ryan, Wil, Trygvy...

Bella and Madeline

Tommy and Jacob getting to know each other. They had a lot of fun playing ball.

Feeding the Triplets. Marianne and Dave are SO amazing with them.

Grandpa giving us the Thanksgiving Speech!

There are so few photos of Dave and I together... He's such a Hottie...

Dave and his big bro, Dan, who is really such a softie with the kids.

Are there any NORMAL photos of Michael ?

It's hard to get Jane to smile in photos. She is usually very blank, so even though, they aren't clear, they show her smiling.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-14T18:04:00.001-08:00

This is us playing some games at our ward Christmas party.
We had a fabulous Santa this year..... Jane and Michael were sick, so Bella did the honors!

Photo from off our back porch.

Remember that photo of the orange tree....crazy how quickly it changes!

Swimming anyone?

Autumn has come and gone!

2009-11-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

At the end of Halloween night, Dave and I decided that it just hadn't been a scary enough Halloween for our kids....so we dropped them off on this street that looked like that street in the Legends of Sleepy Hallow. We had them walk about a 1/2 mile down a VERY dark road. While Dave and I were parked down the road to wait for them, a policeman pulled up behind us and wanted to know why we were just parked there and loitering around. So, it was a little embarrassing to admit we had just left our kids on some spooky street...is that bad?
Bella was the "grudge" girl.

Michael was "in character" the whole night.

Our friends got some super cute little puppies! (no, I still don't want a dog)

This Halloween was so cold that the costumes were chosen by "what can you put on over your snowsuit?" Some of our great friends here, the Selle's, had us over for chicken noodle soup before trick-or-treating. Jane picked it up really fast and would even push all the kids out of the way, so she could get to the candy first. It was hilarious to watch!

So we named our van "white trash" and here's the family that fits it perfectly!

Here we are, freezing to death, at Tommy's football game.

Rachel

Michael

Bella

We have the best leaf pile in the neighborhood!

I don't know how, but Jane knew that she was supposed to jump in the leaves and wanted everyone to bury her.

This is the crazy-gorgeous tree in my front yard (picture taken 2 weeks ago...now there is not 1 leaf left on it!)

Last year, our fall lasted about a week...this year we had four whole weeks, so I'm not going to complain...much...

We Have a TEENAGER!!!

2009-11-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

It's the end of a fabulous football season! Tommy rounded off his year with a touchdown and an interception in the last game. He also had some amazing runs and tackels! I'm not going to miss driving him to practice every day, but I will miss the games.

Just so you know, Tommy is now known as Tom...(but not to his family!)

Tommy just turned 13 on the 19th of October. He is growing fast. He likes to cook his own food, program things on his laptop, play four-square with the neighbors, play football, hang out at the YMCA, play computer games and the WII, tease his brother, camp with the scouts, play with Jane, watch Glen Beck with his mom, and do any kind of activity with Dave.

He really is enjoying 7th grade...he likes his tech ed class...girls like him...

Conference Creativity

2009-10-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Dave's
Michael's

Tommy's

Rachel

Bella

I personally love to listen to conference. I take out my notebook and cosy up on the couch in my pjs. I print out some activities for the kids to do while they listen as well. This year, Dave decided to throw in a little competition...he gave them each a color and they had to use all the lego peices of that color to make something. At the end, Dave gave them awards and certificates. (he's so funny!) I don't know how much they got out of conference, but I guess Elder Uchtorf would be proud...they were creating something!

The Out of Town Visitors!

2009-10-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of the trees on our street. I love how the trees come together over the top. I just had to capture it before all the leaves fell off again.
Here's a shot from my front step at the bus stop. Jane tries everyday to get on the bus...maybe one day, she thinks, I'll let her.

We so rarely get an out of town visitor that we get pretty excited. It was so fun to see Joe for a couple of days. We only saw Steve for a couple of hours, but it was still a great time! They met up with Uncle Dan and went to the U2 concert in Chicago.

Joe was a pretty good guest, other than insulting my friends...hee hee...j/k, Joe!

Year Three of Football

2009-10-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is the third year of Tommy playing football. I have to say that I wasn't sure if football was going to be Tommy's sport. The last couple of years, he would play about 3-5 min. per game. Which obviously made ME sad, but it didn't seem to bother Tommy too much.

Well, THIS year, we are in a different school, and he is doing 7th grade again, so he is the right size (In fact, he is now as tall as me). The coaches have him playing about 95 percent of the time on both offence and defence. He is a force that can't be stopped! I wish my brothers and dad could see him play in person. It is so much fun!

Dave is a nervous wreck on the sidelines. He gets so into the game.

Okay..opinion time...

So the last game, Tommy gets wacked really hard..he is limping and you can see that the wind was knocked out of him and his back is tweaked. So, I'm behind the line of players and I say,(because no one else on the team is..) "Tommy, are you alright? Do you want to lie down for a second?" Dave started shushing me.."Terri, you are embarrassing him...don't talk to him." Can't a mother ask how he is????

Late First Day of School Photos

2009-10-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here's all the kids at the bus stop. This is right in front of our house. Notice how gorgeous the weather is. It was great all of Sept. Now it is yucky in the 40-50s and rainy.
Tommy

Rachel

Bella

Note, there is no photo of Michael. That's because the kindergarteners didn't go to school the first day of school...didn't want to overwelm them...(well, let's just let the parents go crazy trying to explain to the 5-year-old why EVERYONE else gets to go to school, but not you...who came up with that brilliant idea!)

Can't I have just one photo where everyone is looking in the right direction!

2009-10-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Look over HERE!
What is Michael doing in EVERY photo?

This one is okay, just missing Tommy!

See, there he goes again!

Rachel

Rachel Turns 9 Years Old

2009-08-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

Rachel's favorite animal is a giraffe, so we thought it would be fun to have a Safari party. The girls divided into two teams and went on a scavenger hunt after making some binoculars.
Here's the remnants of the food they ate. Snake meat on a stick, ants on a log, etc.

Rachel had to strategically blow out those candles!

They dug out worms from the jello using only their mouths.

I just can't believe that my little RayRay is 9. She is such a great daughter. I love the skits she puts on; she has an amazing talent for writing poems; she can sing and dance; she is a wonderful helper with Jane; she is sincere in her desire to choose the right. I love you, Rachel!

Zoo Day

2009-08-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

We rode on the train...which we thought would be fun. Okay, what kind of train ride at the zoo doesn't go by any animals? We rode through the woods the whole time!
Michael was actually really nervous to go on the train. He thought it was going to go super fast. In the end, he was a little disappointed it didn't go FASTER!

Who's scarier? Bella or the lion?

We met our friends, the Hubers, there. They are an awesome family! (Courtney, I only said that in case you are reading this blog! Hee hee)

My Garden has Taken Over

2009-08-16T07:25:00.001-07:00

I've spent many hours trying to weed my garden, and it was going fine, until the plants took over! They are so big they are overlapping like crazy. I have vines of watermelon and cucumber going every which way...the plants are spilling over the side and down the wall.

This is what I picked one day. We have zuchinni growing out our ears. We eat it everyday; I've frozen it; Given it away; made zuchinni bread and given it away....when will it stop!?

Encore!

2009-08-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Bella and Rachel were in a summer program where they worked in a musical theature project.
Bella was one of the ugly step sisters. I think she still looks beautiful.

Rachel was the dragon. Both of them had solos and did a great job.

Bullfrog..mumbo! (had to be there)

Being One With Nature

2009-07-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

Dave and Tommy went on a high adventure for a week to a place north of us called Boundary Waters. It is where they make men out of boys, or so I've been told.
They canoe along these lakes (no current, mind you) against wind and biting rain at times. Then if you think that is tough, they then have to carry their canoes across these small inlets of the islands and coastline. First unloading all the supplies of the week out which means several trips back and forth across the same area. Tommy wrenched his neck pretty severely.

They found a sweet spot of fish.

This is a beautiful place that they try to keep as natural as possible. There is wildlife everywhere. They saw bald eagles right next to them; a moose as well.

A lot of the time, the weather was overcast, but that didn't stop them from cliff jumping in the freezing water. I wish there were photos of Dave, but he was taking them.

I don't know if Tommy came home a "man" but they did have a great time.

Belated Birthday Photos

2009-07-30T19:18:00.001-07:00

We celebrated my 29th birthday....again. (I'm really 34 for those of you who are curious....I would be!)
Look! I can get Jane's hair into two sweet little ponies.

Of course, our adopted family was there...we love Joe and Kelsi!

I'm not sure why Dave has to help me...I mean, there are only two candles! I'm not THAT old!

The girls put on a fabulous dance in my honor, and I was treated to all sorts of foot rubs and special meals and such. It was a great day!

Tommy's Last Swim Meet

2009-07-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

So football is going to start in a couple of weeks, so this is the last of swimming. I love going to the meets. My stomach gets all knotted up, though, watching those kids swim their hearts out!
You can't tell, but Tommy is swimming in the water.

Not the best photos, but the facilities were really neat to see. I'll miss watching him swim.

Wisconsin in the Summer

2009-07-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Jane's new place to hide and put things...the phone, remotes, whatever...
She thinks she helping me, and really, how can you get mad at that face?

Here's a shot of our house in the summer. It is amazing how full the trees are!

This is our side yard....more leaves to rake up in a few months.

This is looking out from the front door. Some people have been asking me what the area looks like. I may take the camera around the neighborhood and downtown to show what it is like.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-05T06:25:00.001-07:00

Jane is such my water-baby! She has no fear and could spend hours in it.

A family in our ward lives right on the lake so it is a tradition in our ward to have a 4th of July party there. They do a nice ceremony, pot-luc dinner, water-tubing and skiing, games and such.

(Tommy playing some V-ball)

That night we went on a boat tour of the lake and rounded it out with some fireworks. I have to admit I was a little blue...I missed my friends and family quite a bit.

Deer in my Garden

2009-07-05T06:20:00.001-07:00

If you look carefully, you can see where the deer munched off the big leaves to my zuchinni plant. The deer tromped through leaving hoof prints and stepping on top of my garden.
So we set out a scarecrow and strung up some string with noisemakers. We'll have to be on guard!

I did NOT work this hard to have a deer benefit!

***as a side note...our cat hasn't come home for the last two days...we are very upset about it...

Summer Fest

2009-07-05T06:12:00.001-07:00

Here in Wisconsin, they have a two-week long party called SummerFest. Some pretty big-name singers come and perform. Really it's just like a state-fair minus the animal exhibits. (It's also an excuse for people to get drunk) But we took the kids there during the day for some of the kid-activities.
These were the science guys who were playing with dry ice and such.
They had free hair coloring

Don't they look attractive!?

I didn't get a lot of photos, but there was a lot to see. The kids really liked this guy who was a yo-yo expert. He was amazing and funny.

Wisconsin Dells

2009-07-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

There was a little putt-putt. $5 for anyone who beat Dave. No one beat him, but Tommy and I both came close!
A little wet from the log ride. Jane even went on it a few times!

I can't believe how many times the kids went on this ride.

You can see the roller coaster in the background. It was a really fun ride...all rickety and scarey old. I seriously had whiplash for a few days after.

We found a candy store to the delight of us all!

Jane was in heaven combining slides with water...her favorite!

This is a classic Jane face, so I'm glad I caught it on camera. She isn't naked, but just has a swim diaper on.

This was a really neat feature as well. She loved the wave pool and the lazy river.

This is a really cute photo of Dave and Michael. What handsome boys!

The girls were so brave. They were nice enough to let their mom hang out with them for a while on the big slides.

I'm told EVERYONE goes to the Wisconsin Dells. So we got a good deal and gave it a try. It is a huge tourist town. It's like going to a little Las Vegas with Billboards and eye candy everywhere. We went to a waterpark called The Wilderness. It was a lot of fun. The highlight was the Skycraper ride. The girls even went on it and loved it.

Michael starts T-Ball

2009-06-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

The girls have been earning money this summer selling homemade lollipops. So far, it's been a great venture!
There he is....up at bat!

Michael takes his sports pretty seriously. He was pumped to play T-ball. He thought for sure that his first game was going to be televised. He was also disappointed that there was not a huge crowd. But we cheered as loudly as we could and he adjusted pretty quickly. He has a good arm and swing, but is still learning the game play strategy.

Swimming at Lake Michigan

2009-06-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

There is more to the story, I just couldn't get the photos to upload. Here is Rachel. She is my daredevil and was jumping off the rocks.

Jane is a water-monster and has no fear. She will put her entire face in the water and just laugh. She doesn't even care how cold the water is.

Michael has to pose for every shot I get of him.

The lake water reminded me of Bear Lake, pretty cold.

Bella collected quite a bit of sea glass.

Those are our kids out there on the rocks. Isn't it pretty how you can't see the other side of the lake? It's like going to the beach. (without big waves and seaweed and saltwater)

We visited our good friends, the Rackhams.

Mormon Message

2009-06-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

This was interesting. It wasn't what I was expecting. But in a good way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kMToqJ8BaE

While the Boys are Away....

2009-06-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Fathers and Sons is a highlight of the year in our family. We love to shove the boys out the door. This time a got a couple of photos of the girls' fun. We had a little spa adventure and movie night. I love my girls!

Funny Farm

2009-06-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

We had a delicious dinner of roasted hot dogs followed by marshmallows. They got to feed the horses.

Rachel held this goose the whole time.

The baby lamb was so cute! It ALMOST made me want one. Then I saw what a mess it made.

Bella was pretty good at this. They would milk the goat and give it directly to the lamb.

There's a family in our ward that raises some interesting animals. They even have a walleby which I didn't get a photo of. This was an activity days activity and they allowed us to bring our little ones. Jane and Michael couldn't get enough.

Fundraiser for My Neice Ellery

2009-06-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

I know I'm not there, but in case you are in town and are looking for something fun to do....

WE ARE ONE DAY AWAY FROM THE FUNDRAISER... this Saturday June 6th from 9am-5pm! Get your CASH ready because we have LOTS of awesome things going on!! Please help get the word out, we only have this week left. So resend all the emails and repost to your blogs:) If you need an email to forward, just let me know. So this is what we have going on.......
The girls from HABIT SALON will be donating their Saturday (which is huge), doing haircuts all day from 9am-5pm, for $35!!! ALL of the money earned will go to Ellery:)
NO APPOINTMENTS!!!!
FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, GET YOUR NAME ON THE LIST EARLY!
We will have an esthetician (CHELSEA BRANDON- for those of you who know her, she is ridiculously good) be doing $5 eyebrow, lip, etc. waxing and again ALL of the money earned will go to Ellery.
FREE CHAIR MASSAGES!!!!!! 5 whole minutes of heaven:) you can't beat free
ITS A GIRL THING BOUTIQUE will be setting up shop in the front room of our salon, selling anything from home decor, to women's clothes, to baby items!!!
There will also be a JEWELRY vendor (sorry don't know the name) selling really cute jewelry!
Also, CUPCAKES IN A JAR, will be selling just that... cupcakes in a jar!! They are ready to eat, layered with gooey goodness.. so yummy. Be early because supplies on these are limited and they sell out FAST!!!
Um hello! And we also will be having LIVE MUSIC by Sarah Vanell, she sings and plays the guitar... she is seriously amazing!!!!!! She will be at the salon from 12-3 come hear her play, you won't regret it!
AND OF COURSE THE RAFFLES:
*A MICRODERMABRASION FACIAL
*ONE HOUR OF MASSAGE (from Kara Jones who's amazing)
*ONE HOUR OF PRIVATE MACHINE PILATES INSTRUCTION*A FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION (with Annie Randall, link top left pics PLUS a $50 credit towards prints!)
*ONE HOUR OF INTERIOR DESIGN*SWAROVSKI BABY BRACELETS (lots!)
*CUTEST CUSTOM MAGNET BOARDS
*TWO $25 GIFT CARDS FROM GECKO GRILL... YUM!
*CUTE CUSTOM APRONS
*TONS OF BABY ITEMS
*TWO GIFT CARDS FOR CUSTOM BLOG LAYOUTS
*HUGE GIFT BASKET OF RUBS AND MARINADES
*HAIR PRODUCT GIFT BASKET AND I'M SURE MORE TO COME........

ALTHOUGH HABIT SALON WILL TAKE CASH, CHECK AND CARD FOR HAIRCUTS AND HAIR PRODUCT; THE OTHER VENDORS AND THE RAFFLE WILL NEED CASH!!! SO PLEASE BRING PLENTY OF CASH, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE LOTS OF CUTE THINGS!!!!
ALSO, IT WILL BE A HOT DAY, SO WE WILL HAVE PLENTY TO DRINK (AND SNACKS TO SNACK ON) SO DON'T WORRY COME THIRSTY:)

Memorial Day

2009-06-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

A few days before Memorial Day, we went as a family to help put up the flags on the graves of the veterans here in Wisconsin. It was an awe inspiring task. I'm so grateful for all those that have served and continue to serve us and our country. (I wish I could take credit for the photo, but someone else with an awesome camera and fabulous eye took it.)

Door County

2009-05-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Anyone who is anyone here in Wisconsin has been to Door County. So, since we've now been here two years (crazy!) we decided it needed to be done. We went with our good friends, Joe and Kelsi, who are frequently included on this blog. We arrived late Saturday night (because Dave and Tommy had a scout campout the night before and then an Eagle court of honor), set up our tent in the dark and went to sleep. It was a little cold and the frogs were giving us quite a symphony....ribbit.
Rachel got $5 from Kelsi for actually going all the way under. Note: no one else went in...it was way too cold. But it was a beautiful beachfront and a gorgeous day.

If you look really close, you can see the goats on the roof...we thought that was pretty funny.

We went on one of my favorite hikes ever (and I've been on a lot of hikes). It was mountainous beauty and caves and forest on one side and gorgeous lake on the other side.

This is the lake side.

Rachel trying to look contemplative...

Michael taking a turn on the kyak.

Tommy and Dave took the boat out to the island on the right of the photo. They then explored all over the island and rowed back. Then the girls and Michael rowed around the coastline.

This is at one of the lighthouses.

Now as beautiful as it was up there being on Lake Michigan and such....Dave and I are confused at why this was considered such a "great" place to go. We LIVE everyday in this environment. We are one mile from a lake, 2 miles from a State park where you can camp, trees and water are EVERYWHERE. So, next time, we aren't going to drive three-four hours north to do what we can do 1 minute from our house. I guess at least we can say we went to Door County!

Door County

2009-05-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Does my family look like a big family spread out this way or is it just me?
These are shots of what my kids are doing around the campfire...Bella and Rachel are riding their stick horse...of course.

Michael is chasing the riding duo with his stick sword...

Tommy is either playing with his pocket knife or being a pyro...

Jane is just trying to be like everyone else.

Fun in the Tub/Fun with the Williamsons

2009-05-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Somewhere lost in the magenta tub are two cute little girls...
There they are! Both Abby and Jane have no fear of water, so they were splashing and swimming around. It was so cute to see!

I cannot believe that I didn't get any more photos of the days that Mark and Ashley and Abby were here. It was the highlight of my year! We had fun going to a beer/root beer factory, Kopps for frozen custard, movies, Capital building, zoo, and Five Guys. I made them sing in the choir on Sunday (thanks again!) and they went to Chicago for a day letting me bond with little Abby. It was a great time for me to get to know Ashley. They are a great couple and are wonderful parents. Now I miss my family more than ever!!!!

Go Gokey Go

2009-05-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Courtney, Kelsi and Me
We borrowed some lady's sign so we could look like fans for a photo...

Danny is the guy in the white shirt WAY back there up on stage.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest AI fan (I just watch the beginning shows) but I've enjoyed some of the people that have come out of the show. Gokey is from Wisconsin...so we went to support. He was playing at the downtown Milwaukee SummerFest site. It was great times. The crowd was made up of moms bringing their little kids and a few men being dragged by their girlfriends. It was one of my good friend, Kelsi's, birthdays so we had a night on the town.

And....my son now has a mustache...

2009-05-10T08:37:00.001-07:00

Tommy is competively swimming now. They have a great program out here. The high school (if we are still here) has won state 7 out of the last 8 years, so they try to get them in young. He goes to practice 3 times a week and has a meet just about once a week. Crazy fun!

He's giving a talk today on Mother's Day...what an easy subject....hee hee.

Can you tell which is the Before and which is the After?

2009-05-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

We're Hooked!

2009-04-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Five weeks ago, Dave was convinced by his co-workers that it would be a good idea to run an 8K. Now, we had not exercised in a LONG time. When we started this venture, we couldn't make it a whole mile. We were huffing and puffing, lungs burning. But...we persevered. It's very hilly here, so we trained hard (okay well a few times a week). Yesterday, the sun was shining and spring was in the air....Today for the race it was 50 degrees and literally pouring rain. I thought my pants were going to fall down as I was running. There were 17,500 participants in this Crazy Legs race in Madison, WI. So, wet and cold, we ran the 5 miles and had a great time. We ended the race running onto the field of the Badger Stadium which was pretty cool. I had to blow my entrance though by running straight into a camera guy and knocking him over and tripping a couple people behind me. Lovely...why do those things always happen to me???

Dave finished in 44 min. and I did it in 46, so both of us are pretty proud of our times. We didn't race together, though, which would have been more fun. Next time.

Monkeys Monkeys Everywhere!

2009-04-25T19:21:00.001-07:00

This was a park at an awesome FREE zoo at the state capital of Madison here in WI. We live about 45 min. from it. Madison is smaller than Milwaukee and a major college town.
Michael climbed up all by himself (I tried not to help him getting down.)

Isn't this funny?

Bella's Birthday Bash

2009-04-25T19:15:00.001-07:00

Bella and her friends got identical pjs (they were $1) and strutted their stuff.
They played hide-n-seek, made chocolate lollipops, scrapbooked, and had a rousing game of Mafia.

I REALLY can't believe my baby is 10!!!!!

Activities this Week

2009-04-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Bella made it to double digits! I can't believe my little girl is 10!!!!

Some things about Bella:

1) She loves her friends.

2) She is a great sister - loves to play games and is patient

3) Loves to play pretend - house, school, animals, etc.

4) Is into Webkinz, Littlest Pet Shop, collecting all the state quarters (slowly fading out the Pokemon!)

5) Gives extremely sweet testimonies which gives her quite a reputation in the ward

6) Consistantly has straight A's and is the only one in her class receiving harder math

7) Picks up the piano so quickly, it's a shame her mother doesn't teach her more consistantly

8) Is very determined to learn whatever sports her friends are playing, which right now is kickball

9)Loves to go on bikerides with her family

10) Tickles her mom to death with her serious questions and makes her mom treasure their one-on-one time together

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!

We got her a kitten for her birthday. She was so cute about it. She said she felt "warm, bright yellow inside." I think she is a little pyschic sometimes because she relates to feelings with color or emptiness.

Jane is into giving kisses which we are glad to take!

Dave is now the Scout Master, so it is so fun to see him and Tommy dressed up together.

Tommy gets is Tenderfoot!

Time to Chop it Off

2009-04-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Bella Before
Bella Before

Bella After!
Rachel After!

Rachel Before!

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T09:28:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I always put these photos in the wrong order, but here is part of our Easter Feast. Tommy just wanted to dive right in.
Jane doing Pat-a-Cake. It's the only song she knows all the actions to, although she loves all action songs.

Bella and Rachel trying to catch some rays. They said they were sun batheing. (Poor children don't remember what it was like...)

It was just too cold to get a smile from Jane!

Michael had SO much fun this Easter. He just loved the whole experience.

As did Tommy....

Jane really took off once she understood what was expected of her. She liked to lick all the treats and then spit them out. Except the Pixie Sticks, those were her favorite!

Ta Da! My brothers had one of these when they were kids...such fun!

The girls had come in to wake us up at 6am....we told them to go back to bed. I think they needed some more sleep...

Tommy thought he wouldn't like Peeps....he thought WRONG!

Decorating Easter Eggs!

The kiddos were so creative this year. I love watching them do their own thing. They come up with things I would never dream of doing.

Thanks for the Inspiration!

2009-04-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I was inspired by you all who have planted gardens recently. Here it is still too cold to plant, but we readied the soil.
This is what it looked like before....

This is after.

We've started the seedlings inside our house for right now, so that in 4-6 weeks, after the last frost (whatever that means) we can plant them. I have such a black thumb, I worried for the outcome. At the store, I bought about 15 packs of seeds and told the lady behind me that I was just learning to garden. She looked at all the seeds and said, "boy, you're ambitious!" Really, I'm just hoping that the more I plant, the better my odds of at least ONE thing coming up green.

Our friends just adopted a dog, or as I like to call her, Bear. Have you ever seen a St. Bernard in person? They are huge! She tried to attack Tommy when he picked Jane up---those protection instincts must be pretty strong. (I still have no desire to have another dog much to my kids' disappointment)

What...I'm NOT the greatest mother?

2009-04-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today I took Michael to the doctor because he has a massive ear infection...ooze and everything. On the way home, I stopped at McDonalds and got him a Happy Meal. So, as we are pulling out, I say, "Aren't I the best mother in the whole world?"
"No," Michael says calmly.
"What? You don't think I'm the bestest mother ever?" I question.
"No," he says again.
I'm a little peeved! Shouldn't 5-year olds think their moms are the bomb? I started thinking of all the women he knows that are better moms than me.
"Well, who's the best mom then, Michael?"
"Mary," he says matter-of-factly.
I can't think he would be talking about THE Mary...
"Mary who?" I ask.
"Mary, who's the mother of Jesus. She was the best in the whole world!"
Well....who am I to argue with THAT!

School Activities

2009-03-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

It was VIP day at Michael's class. He was supposed to have grandparents there, but I had to suffice. I felt guilty because some kids had like 6 family members there, and Michael had to settle for me, but he didn't seem to notice. It was his idea to do the floppy ear on one side which I thought was so creative.
Jane is a "baby" girl. Some girls like animals (like Bella) and some like babies (like Rachel). Jane is definately into babies and not animals. She will sit with any family in the ward that has a baby in their isle and will cozy up quick.

This is evidence some day that he was trained to wash dishes, so he can't tell his wife he never learned how!

Bella had a great music concert on the melting pot of the United States with music from all different countries. It was very beautiful. She was sad to have missed her other school's concert, but this one was also great.

Buried Treasure!

2009-03-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is a view from my kitchen window. The backyard has a slope to it, which is great for sledding, but hard for Jane to walk down (and hard for me to carry her back up the hill!) We have a corner lot leading into a cul-de-sac, so it is big, but half of it is near a neighborhood street. And of course, there are no fences here in Wisconsin!
This is another view from my kitchen. Tommy taught himself how to do a back flip and then taught Rachel to do one as well. Now if we could just talk Bella into it....

This is a view of our cul-de-sac from our mailbox.

This is a view of our house. I'll post one of each season. I'm excited to see what it will look like with all the trees with leaves...(not excited for all the leaves falling in the fall that we will have to rake up!)

This kitchen was another treasure buried in the snow. It was just a little dusty! Also the basketball hoop.

What do I love more than a good bargain....something free!!! The snow all melted, and we've had a little taste of spring...and we found, out in the woods in our backyard, a trampoline! It's missing 4 springs, but other than that it works great. Dave had to dig up some of the springs from the frozen ground, but here you go. Pure pleasure for kids that have been couped up for months!

What the Girls have been up to...

2009-03-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a cool shot. It was taken just at the right moment. (there were a lot of mess-ups before this perfect shot)

Bella and Rachel have been leading quite the social life. They have been to a birthday party just about every weekend since we've moved and also have been keeping up friendships back in Sussex. They just recently took part in a ward talent show and wowed them all with their bendiness (is that a word?). Bella's Human Jump Rope is quite funny, but she did say it was getting harder. They will start swimming next month.

BTW, I now have three kids in glasses. They all inheritated my astigmatism and need glasses for the chalkboard and stuff. Michael can't wait to have astigmatism too.

Tommy's Church Basketball

2009-03-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Tommy is #6

Well, just add another thing onto what makes me cry....Tommy is just getting so big! His shoes are size 9, his voice is changing, he's gained 20 pounds in the last 3-4 months....I just can't take it! He recently went back to school (after having been out for a couple of months) and I miss him like crazy...and not just as a baby-sitter, but as a friend to have around. He's so funny and witty. For example, when I called him on the phone the other day, he answered, "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" I just think that is so funny...perhaps I'm just an easy audience. I think it is such a joy to see your children grow up and become their own person.

So, Tommy is playing church-ball. We have such a great group of young men in our ward. About 5-6 boys in each age group. He is also going to start swimming next week.

Housewarming Party

2009-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'll get around to the dinning room someday!

Three boys enjoying a little dessert fondue.

So, we were a little lonely for our old friends, so we had a little fondue party. It was great fun and great friends. Why did we move? hee hee

Back to Blogging

2009-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is after. We scrubbed the grout and polished the floors, added new hardware to the cabinets, Dave put in a new kitchen sink and oven, new wood backsplash to the counters. And I painted the walls.
Look at the sun coming in!!!! My favorite part of this house!

Before...the owner was very artsy, just too flowery for me.

More before

I've taken a bit of a haitus on blogging....but I appreciate all of those who have kept at it. We've been busy moving and stuff. We've moved about 20 min. away to another town called Delafield. The kids had to start in a new school and we are in a new ward and everything. It has been a great adjustment and a lot of hard work, but well worth it. We had originally tried to buy a house here, but just couldn't get it to work, so we were very lucky to find another rental. We were sad to move out of our last rental...best homeowners ever, great neighbors, ward, and lots of memories. Especially of baby Jane...being as it was her first house.

However, the new house so far has been wonderful. There's a bit more space, great ward with lots of youth for Tommy, and the kids are adjusting to new schools just fine. We are sure to meet our neighbors when hibernation is over and the ground thaws a little.

So, here's a little before and after.

Updates on Ellery

2009-01-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

It's a little hard to see with all the tubes, but she was giving us some great grins.

It was a great night to see Ellery. She was all smiles for a while!

The sisters HAD to do an all-nighter with Shelley and Ellery. It was so much fun! I miss my sisters!!!!

While we were there, we had a huge scare with Ellery. It was touch and go for a while, but everything worked out. She had to have surgery on her stomach. Now she is on the road to recovery. It is wonderful to see. Okay, I think I'm done! And I'm sure I missed half of the vacation and fun because I didn't take all the photos I should have!!!

So much family!

2009-01-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

Here's all the cousins. I'll post the "good" photos later!

They were all so cute!

Just try to get them to all sit still!

Tonya and Vaughn's family came in to complete the bunch. Then the REAL partying started. We didn't get any sleep. The boys were gaming on the computers all night. We went to Castles and Costers, Jungle Jims, 4-wheeling, bouncy housing, New's Year's Eve party, Bahama Bucks, filming for Todd's birthday, and then the whole birthday bash.

Here we are out to lunch...just the girls!

Christmas!

2009-01-11T17:20:00.001-08:00

These dolls are SO reminicent of my childhood. My grandma made them. It just brought back so many great memories.
Christmas PJs!

Are you trying to tell me my kids are unattractive?

Rachel won almond in the pudding!

We had such a great time with friends, Christmas seemed a little anti-climatic. Plus, it was just stocking gifts, but it was wonderful to wake up in my parents house and be with family. All my siblings came over later, so it was fun to be with all the cousins.

More Photos

2009-01-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

Such sweeties!
Someday we are hoping for a couple of weddings from this bunch!

I couldn't decide which photo was more attractive, so I posted them both! (I dream of the Golden Spoon...thanks a lot!)

I'm kicking myself for not getting more photos of everyone, so if any of you have some to share, I would LOVE them.

More Fun Times with Friends

2009-01-11T17:07:00.001-08:00

Ah la, Hotel Wellman...we'll make a reservation there every year!
Two great boys that I wish could grow up together.

You could see the steam coming off the top of the water...92 degrees!

I get a little teary when I see this picture. I love my friends!!!!

First we had a great night at the Mills house with great food and fun games. We did a little caroling in the rain, which made it a much more memorable experience. It was so much fun to spend some time with our good friends. Then a huge highlight of the trip....swimming in December. My kids were so estatic to go swimming in the Wellmans pool. I don't think I could get tired of all my friends there. I could have stayed MUCH longer. Thank you to all that we crashed in on. We really had a wonderful time!!!!

First few Days

2009-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Here are our great friends, Chris and Kristen. They were great hosts and we had a lot of laughs! We went to dinner with them and Lance and Bryn, which was so much fun.
Jane couldn't be removed from the swing.

First off, the weather was a little chilly for AZ, but we took every advantage to head for the park. My brother, Mark, graduated from ASU, so that was really fun to be there to celebrate. It was so wonderful to see my grandparents. I really missed them.

It started with a Plane Ride

2009-01-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed to be able to head for Arizona for the holidays. We couldn't wait to see all our friends and family that we have been missing. We hadn't met many nieces, nephew, and cousins, so that was very exciting. The plane ride wasn't too bad. Jane didn't take much of a nap, so it was a little long, but luckily it wasn't full, so we could move around a bit.

Right after we landed, we headed to see Baby Ellery. She wasn't doing too well. Her bowels were bothering her and she still had her breathing tube in, so she was pretty uncomfortable. But it was great to be with her.

Michael's Birthday (Kinda)

2008-12-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

This year was everything Hulk...because "Hulk is stronger than Superman, dad, of course!"
Here was this really cool indoor playland that Michael and his friends went to.

Argh, matey!

Pass the package....of course!

My attempt at a pirate ship.

They are singing some sort of birthday wish.

Here he is in his classroom. He absolutely LOVES school and is a little depressed everyday when he has to leave his friends.

So, it was Michael's turn to take center stage. Here he is in all his glory getting lots of attention from his friends. He took treats to his Pre-K class and then had a couple of friends over to celebrate. He wanted a pirate cake, so I did the best I could. I REALLY need to remember to cook the cake the day BEFORE...frosting melts when the cake is warm....

Kohls' Christmas Party

2008-12-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

This was Michael and Tommy's first time ice-skating. Tommy took off like a rocket.

Horse-drawn carriage rides...

Dave's work had a Christmas party as well. Their budget was $500,000 which is slightly more than what I had for the ward party. It was amazing with an indoor ice-skating rink, all you could eat food galore, magicians, cookie decorating, and tons more. Needless to say, it was a blast!

Ward Christmas Party

2008-12-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so I've been running around and stressing about my ward's Christmas party. I'm in the RS, but we were in charge of this activity, and since I have the easiest calling in the RS presidency, it is only fair that I headed it up. I had a great amount of help from other sisters, so it wasn't too bad, but I was so glad to be done. Here's a couple of photos from it.

Rachel's Christmas Concert

2008-12-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

So, this year, Rachel's grade did the 'Nutcracker'. It was very well done. Rachel's class did the "Tea, Chinese Tea" dance, which she wasn't excited about, but was my favorite dance of all. She had a little speaking part and did a great job. She also wanted to be on the top of the bleachers, but as a shorty, there's no place but the front!

Dave's Birthday

2008-12-08T12:22:00.001-08:00

Well, this time of year seems flooded with birthdays in our house. First Tommy, then Jane, then Dave, and then Michael. And so close to Christmas...it just doesn't seem right! For Dave's birthday, I took him to get a pedicure. It was his first time. He had told me he was willing to go, so I thought it would be great. When we walked in, the only person working there was a guy! and Dave was like "uh, no, thanks" and tried to get out of it. Then a lady worker came out of the back room and we were back in business. Unfortunately, I had a ward Christmas party I was in charge of, so we didn't get to celebrate much. We did get to eat at our favorite restaurant and ate the best meal in the whole world, Pollo Rosa Maria at Carrabbas...yum! Happy Birthday, Dave, I love you!

Janey's Birthday

2008-11-30T17:22:00.001-08:00

I can't believe my baby is one....I feel like this year has just flown by. We had Kris, Chuck, Jessica and Rachel in town for her birthday, so we had to do a little 'pass the package' and cake. The cake was a little lame, but Michael said it tasted good. Jane had way too many present especially because she only wanted the first one she opened...another baby doll. She started walking on her birthday, but I swear it was only because her younger-by-two-weeks cousin was showing her how to do it. Happy Birthday, Jane!

A Year with Baby Jane

2008-11-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

So, Baby Jane came into the world with a bang, but she's been quite a mellow baby. She goes along with the flow for the most part. The older kids love to cater to her every need and try to make her smile all the time. As of her birthday, she was just beginning to walk. (She needed some competition from her cousin, Rachel, to see what walking was all about) She can wave hello and say, 'hi'. She says, 'da da' when she sees her dad. She can find her belly button and her baby doll. She loves to eat anything but processed fruit (that sounds a lot like her dad). Her favorites are macarroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, anything with rice, and corn puffs. She loves to fall asleep at naptime, on the couch, with her warm bottle of milk and watching Finding Nemo or Baby Ensteins. Her favorite toys are her walker which she cruises everywhere with, or her baby dolls that she drags around by their hair. She's still almost bald and her eyes are the same as Rachel's (not a distinct color). She has two bottom teeth and four uppers. I love you, Janey. You've been such a joy to our family!

Help for Shelley and Ellery

2008-11-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I went to AZ this last weekend with my sister, Kim, and we had an amazing time. We got to see what my sister and her husband, Caleb, are going through, day and night, with their little baby, Ellery. (You can check out the whole story on her website, Shelley and Caleb, linked to mine)

She is in need of some help at night. It is almost impossible to sleep. You just can't leave the baby alone. Her cries are so soft and her numbers can drop so quickly that someone needs to monitor her all the time. She is the cutest little baby and be warned, you will fall in love with her quickly. If you have any time, in the middle of the night, please try to help her out. They are staying at the St. Joseph Children Hospital downtown. Her website is asking for some help this weekend, but it is a challenge EVERY night. If it is easier for you during the day, I'm sure she would take that help as well. I'm having a hard time being so far away, so I'm so glad for all the help she gets. Terri

All Aboard!!

2008-11-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

The weather had been really nice here the last few weeks, 60's and 70's. Even Halloween night required only the lightest of jackets. But yesterday, the cold swept in, nice and wet. So, since Dave had to work, I took the kids downtown to a Trainfest. It was a bunch of grown men and their toys, but pretty fun and amazing to look at. Here's some of the best shots. TOOT! TOOT!

Start of Halloween

2008-10-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

Evil Dr. Frank (I was Dr. Stine)
Rachel was Bride of Frankenstein, and Bella was Zombie Mom...they others aren't scary, so we will not mention them.

Jane loved looking at all the costumes.

Here's the ward Halloween party. This ward always has a great turnout, and everyone dresses up...even the grownups. So, there has always been a rule in our house that Halloween is for dressing up scary (you can dress up all the rest of the year like a princess or whatever...), but Michael convinced me that Indiana Jones was scarey with his whip and Tommy had 2 min. to make his costume, so....BUT, for the actual trick-o-treating, they have promised to be all scare and gore. I was too busy to help them because Dave and I were making one of those oooey-gooey science labs. So fun!

The REAL reason we moved....

2008-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Now where was I, one might ask...well, I was in the house...WAY too cold for me...hee hee!

So, there were some reasons we moved to WI, such as a good opportunity for Dave, change of scenery, etc, but seriously one of the MAIN reasons was we didn't want our kids to be SOFT. We wanted them to have to make new friends, get really cold so that the snot ran down their noses, and good oldfashioned work. We've had them move the woodpile (every Williamson knows this is a MUST...), shovel snow, pick huge weeds, garden somewhat, and lots of raking leaves. Bella even got blisters...I'm so proud!

Tommy's Officially 12

2008-10-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Spanking Machine, of course!
What else does a 12-year old get....clothes!

Silly faces with our good friends, Joe and Kelsie.

It's a funny tradition...we get a can of soup for our birthday...somewhat long story....

I say 'officially' because it seems like for this whole year we've been saying, "well, he's almost 12." That now that he IS 12, it doesn't seem like such a big jump. But getting the Priesthood last week was great. We are looking forward to him passing the sacrament this Sunday. We got him a guitar for his birthday, and the kid won't stop playing it. He's hoping to get some lessons from his uncles and aunts this Christmas.

Tommy Goes to Work

2008-10-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Now, I know you all saw it coming....from the Hard Rock photo...I mean, all that potential obviously needed an outlet. So, twice a week, Tommy goes down to Kohls and is a fit model, which means he tries on a bunch of clothes. It's pretty fun for him, and he makes $25 an hour. Here he is opening his first check. Sure beats my paper route when I was his age!!!!!

Fall is in the Air

2008-10-17T10:34:00.001-07:00

We've had a great fall season here in Wisconsin. The tempeture dropped for a few days a couple weeks ago, but for the most part it has been in the 60s and 70s, just beautiful. Now, I'm NO photographer, obviously, but I really wanted to show a little of the absolute beauty around here with the leaves. I swear I'm going to cause an accident because of all the rubber necking at the trees. My kids have stopped agreeing with me when I say, "Oh, my, look how beautiful that tree is. That's my favorite color, right there." Now they say, "Mom, would you stop saying that? You say that about every tree." So, maybe they have a point, but come on.....it is gorgeous!

Isn't She the Cutest Thing?

2008-10-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Yeah, she's propped up against the couch. I swear she could walk if she tried, but is a chicken.
She thought she was so cool in her little bunting.

Look at that face!!!

So, Jane was so sick last week, that THIS week, it seems as though she is an angel. I absolutely LOVE her in this cute little snowbunting. Now, this is not the FULL-ON snow gear that she will wear when it is REALLY cold, but I'll get pictures of that when it comes. Now it is about 50-60 degrees.

Tommy's birthday is this Sunday, so I took him some balloons and decorated his locker without him knowing. I'm excited to see what his reaction was. Pure embarrassment I'm sure. Hee hee. Tomorrow is his last game, and I'm going to have to miss it, because it is also the Primary Practice/Party on the other side of town for the other kids. It's Tommy's last Primary Program...I'm going to have a DEACON!!!

Tagged by Kim!

2008-10-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

Rules: Put your answers in "google image" (pick from the first three pages)

First Name: Teresa
(I couldn't use the first photo that came up because it was WAY too racy! But this photo suits me better anyway, as it was a nickname of mine....MT)

Middle Name: Kay
Last Name: Watson
Bad Habit: Stating my Opinion Too Loudly
What I am doing right now: Crafts for RS coming up

Grandmother's Name: Maxine

Past Pet: Cat
First Job: Paper Route
Where I grew up: Rhode Island (I lived a couple other places as well, but here for the longest)
Favorite Place: Movies

If I went back to school, what would I study: Speech Therapy

Place I want to visit: Bali
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Food: Mexican (Yeah, this one is a little racy, too, but hee hee)

I tag Melanie, Malie, and Kristen!

Well, It was Inevitable...

2008-09-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

You always hear the stories of the little boys being dressed up by their older sisters. Michael has always managed to be a superhero during dress up time with the girls, but this time they got their hands on him. Meet BETTY...

Hours of Entertainment

2008-09-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

We were laughing so hard we were crying!

First Day of School (A Month Late!)

2008-09-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about school starting. I like having a quiet house sometimes, but I do miss the kids. I know that I loose more and more influence over them each year. It was very sad to send Michael off this year, even if it is just 4-K, 1/2 day. I really miss him. Jane and I just sit around and stare at each other. Bella just won class representative for student council at her school. Rachel tried, but as there were 12 kids running, the odds weren't great. They were the only ones that memorized their speeches....thank you, church talks for the prep.

Motherhood Perfection

2008-09-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

There are so many days when I think to myself..."what am I doing?" I'm always way short on the 'mother of the year' platform. Tonight however, I had a great evening with Tommy. We transposed a song so that we could play a duet on the piano and clarinet together (such a cool feeling). Then at the last minute before going to bed, he asks me where we keep the playdoh. Let me tell you...I do not support the playdoh industry...it is WAY not worth the work it is to clean it up. So, Tommy thinks he is out of luck, no playdoh in the house. Well, I just whipped up a batch of playdoh from scratch. He was very impressed. I told Dave I should get the mother of the day foot massage....he's still thinking about it.

Another Neice!!!!

2008-09-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Jeff and Amy had their baby girl, Liberty May. I've only seen one photo, but she is beautiful! I wish I was there in AZ...but hopefully we will be there after Christmas!

The Lord's Hand

2008-09-14T07:08:00.001-07:00

My sister, Shelley, and her husband, Caleb, got some bad news last week. They found out that their baby (at 34 weeks gestation) was not growing as much as she should be and that there was a heart defect. Obviously, not the kind of news you want to hear. Shelley had already been on bed rest and being monitored for pre-term labor, so this was just more to worry about.

Last week, we all fasted and prayed as a family and also had the prayers of the wards and friends around us, and truely our prayers were answered. I can't give the whole detailed story justice...you can check out Shelley's blog when she logs it all in, but the way in which all the medical people that they needed were there for her (or not there for her ;)...part of the long story) is amazing.
Friday night, because of the concerned medical staff and the promptings of Shelley that something was wrong, she was under servailance at St. Joe's hospital when Shelley awoke with the monitor telling her that her baby's heart beat was dangerously low. Her doctor rushed right in (what doctor is ever there when they are needed during a birth...hee hee) and they did an emergency C-section.
Her beautiful little girl, Ellory (I don't know the spelling, SORRY) Kay McBride, was born with no complications. She is little, 3 lbs. 12 oz, but she could breathe on her own and had good vital signs. So far, they can hold off on the heart operation until a later date, but all is as good as one could hope for. All these things were a miracle and I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for giving our family such a faith building experience that brought us close.
I'll post photos as soon as I get them.
On another exciting note....I'm getting another neice soon from Jeff and Amy....I can't wait...and am wishing more than ever that I was still in AZ!!!!!

Politics Politics

2008-09-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

I'm trying hard to not be so political....but it is so dang hard!!!! I am trying to be optimistic about everything, but really it's just a MESS. I am so torn about Sara Pallin. As Rush said, she stands for every Liberal belief...that a woman can have it all. Well, the conservative in me is screaming, "You can't have it all!!!" But, I do think she is an amazing lady for what she has accomplished. So, I'm torn, but I am worried that she is a mixed message to conservative women out there. I just wish she was a little older...her kids a little older.
As a side note, these comments that the Democrats are making are SO funny. I've been laughing out loud everyday. Thank you Matt Damon and Joe Biden...hee hee!

Finishing up the Trek

2008-09-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here we all are inside the Seventies Hall.
This is a very cute playhouse outside our cabin.

This was inside the "cabin" we were staying at. There were actual deer heads on the wall (Shelley and Caleb would have loved it) and some very quaint paintings of dead ducks.

So cute...all the old people....
Seriously, this was no pansy trek!
Yes, there was an injury. Poor Bella! Tommy also received a couple scrapes from a killer thorny stick.
It was harder than it looked. It was a very hot, humid day. I don't know how the pioneers did it.
We learned how to make barrels (because you might need to do that someday), candles, bread, rope (ok, we had to drag Tommy away from that exhibit...) etc.

I think we would have made really cute pioneers...

I think the pioneer games were the most fun.
There were just too many cute photos!

He was dying to get on the horse...
He didn't want to get on the sheep!!! Hee Hee

This is a cute little wooded fence in Nauvoo. They were all looking at my mom's camera.

Here's the bullet hole where the bullet that killed Hyram Smith went through.
This is at Carthage Jail. It always leaves quite an impression.
Why do I always do repeat prints? Especially a photo that shows my double chin....

This is right outside our little cabin that we stayed in. I think that's about the closest my kids have ever come to a horse!

Well, our summer wouldn't be complete if we didn't finish the 'church tour' and go to Nauvoo. Since my mom and dad were here, we thought it would be fun to head down there. It is about a 6 hour drive, so it's not that bad. We arrived around 3pm, saw some sights, and went to the missionary show. The kids really liked it! The next day we went to the rest of the Nauvoo town sites. I can't believe I didn't get photos of the temple....I'm crazy! But we did get to do a session, which was absolutely amazing!!! The next day, we went to Carthage Jail. So, if anyone wants to come visit us, Nauvoo is just a hop, skip, and a jump away!

It is great when Rachel turns 8!!!!

2008-08-31T06:00:00.001-07:00

She has been waiting so long for this day!!!! I know what it is like to be in her shoes. It is hard to be the younger sister...to watch her get baptized before you, go to activity days...etc. Now it was her turn, and she was so excited. My mom and I laughed all day watching her practically float around, she was so excited. On Monday, after the zoo, we had a little family party.

Then Tuesday night was her baptism. They sang the song that my sister, Tonya, wrote, with a couple other girls from the ward. It was so beautiful! So many great families from the ward came. Our ward here is so supportive. We even had some families not familiar with our church come, which was so wonderful that they knew what a special day it was for Rachel.

I love my RayRay! I'm so happy that she made the decision to be baptized. Rachel has a special gift of making friends. She is funny and sweet. She loves to care for Jane and is a great help. I love watching her smile her crooked smile. I love the notes she writes me. I love you, Rachel!

Grandma and Grandpa are Here!!!!

2008-08-31T05:43:00.000-07:00

It is so great to have my mom and dad here...and to have them to myself. We've been having a lot of fun. The trip for them didn't start off the best...we sent them to Chicago on a train...which didn't go as quickly as they wanted. But they got to see Wicked, which they liked. I'll let Mom blog the whole experience, as she will tell it better and more colorful than I can. We went to the Milwaukee Museum, Tommy's football scrimage, movies (Melody, we saw Mama Mia...your assessment was correct). Then on Monday, it was Rachel's birthday and she wanted to go to the zoo. I feel bad, however, because I gave her some allergy medicine before we left, and she was pretty groggy. The rest of us had a great time, however....

It's Football Season Again!

2008-08-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was a little leery about Tommy playing football again this year. We tried it last year, but we signed him up late, and the boys had already been playing together the year before. So we would go to the games, sit there for 1 hour and 1/2 only to see Tommy run in at the end for a play or two...not very exciting. This year, we did it right. He went to the camps, started on time, and man, did he work hard!! I didn't know the fire that was in my Tommy....he comes home with bruises and scapes...grass stains that won't come out, sorry Tide. So, he's made first string. Way to be, Tommy!

Minneapolis

2008-08-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

One of the blessings living here in Wisconsin is that we are just 6 hours from our family, Kris and Chuck up in Minneapolis. It does sounds like a long drive, but when you consider how far they used to be, when we lived in AZ, it is nothing. (Plus, they are the only family around, so we will take what we can get.) All the guys went to do a little golfing, the morning after we got there.
They have a beautiful lake right next to their house.
Baby Rachel and Baby Jane....sunbathing beauties! These two are only a couple weeks apart. Even though they don't physically look too much alike, they made so many of the same expressions and gestures that they cracked us up. Rachel is such a sweetheart!
Chuck, Josh and Kris outside the temple in Minneapolis. Chuck has an amazing family. His mom still has so much energy and is great at making us feel welcome. Michael is convinced that he now has more cousins....
Major family birthday party for Rachel, Jessica, and Josh (since Josh won't be here on his actual birthday!) See...what a great family to include Rachel!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-08-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

One of those crazy rains that comes and is gone in 30 min.
Yeah, that's Tommy in that uniform. He can't wait to do the full-contact hitting this next week. A mom's true dream.
They are crazy to be doing this. They had to come in as soon as we saw lightening.
I bought this little pool for Jane and all of them though they were invited in.
Sorry for the repeat!

I do not want this summer to end

Those that agree with me...please join in the chanting. I really do love having my kids at home, even if the mess is unbearable at times. We have a couple more weeks left before school starts. Just enough time to squeeze in dentist trips, doctors shots, trip to Nauvoo with my parents, trip to Minnesota to see our nephew Josh off on his mission (and meet little Rachel!), just typing all these things left to do makes me stressed, so I'll just post these photos and be off!

Yeah, Summer School is Out!

2008-07-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Bella knitted like crazy and made some great stuff!
Rachel cheered wonderfully!
Tommy's rocket launch went perfect!

Bathtime with Michael.
She's off and crawling!
This is Michael's 4-K get ready class.
You wouldn't believe what they knitted in their class.

Jane loves the water and has to participate in all the fun.
Michael wouldn't do this last year...so big steps.

See, wet swim suits and cold popsicles on a hot day....so summer fun!

It was a great run, but I'm glad it is over. Now it will finally be REALLY summer! I love the lazy days!

Well, You Got Me!

2008-07-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

It was so neat to watch the L-trains!
This is the restaurant Petterino's where we ate dinner.
Wicked Awesome 'Wicked'!
Yeah, we were talking and Dave's all, 'Here's the womens' room" so I walk in without paying any attention....right into the men's room. The men in there and I all had a great laugh. How embarrassing!
This is our room.

This was Friday night and the kids gave me some sweet gifts they made (well, Tommy owes me an hour long pedicure...looking so forward to that!)
This is us outside our hotel....do you like my 'Shelley' face?
This was the coolest art sculpture!
This is some of the 'culture' in Chicago!

Most of you know...Dave and I love to surprise each other with trips. I don't know why, but we think it is just so fun! So, this Saturday was my birthday and Dave had asked me what I wanted to do. Well, I remembered having such a great time going out to lunch with all my friends the last couple of birthdays in AZ (there was no Heidi here to plan this year), so I decided to throw my own birthday luncheon. I invited 6 lovely women to join me at Claim Jumper, and I was so excited. Then Dave and I were going to dinner and see the new Batman movie later on.

So, I'm get all ready to go out with my friends and Dave says he has a house we need to go look at, so we jump in the car real fast. (We have some great friends in our ward staying with us while they finish the renovations of their house, so they volunteered to watch the kids.) Well, after driving for a few minutes, I'm like, "Dave, where are we going?" Because he was totally going the wrong way. Dave drew it out for a while, but finally told me we were going to Chicago. It's about an hour and a half from where we live. At first I was mad because I REALLY was looking forward to an outing with my girlfriends! He told me we were going to take the train in, but I didn't have my ID on me, so we drove. I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed and choked up about leaving Jane behind. After the initial upset, (as I get older, I realize I'm not as spontaneous as I like to think!) I cheered up. We stayed at the W hotel which is supposed to be all 'posh' or something. Dave had roses and chocholates and a sweet card on the bed waiting. Very romantic! Then he told me we were going to see 'Wicked' which I was so excited about. He had bought me a new outfit for the evening, so we changed and walked downtown. It was so beautiful! The outskirts of Chicago can be kind of sketchy, but the actual downtown is clean and lit up, so it was great to walk through. There is some crazy art sculptures and muesems and cool buildings everywhere. We ate at a neat steak house, got some fancy gormet popcorn, and then went to see the show. I absolutely loved it! I'd seen Les Mis and Phantom in Phoenix, but this is just a different type of show. I definately recommend going to see it if you can. I slept beautifully and soundly...thank you, Kelsi, for taking care of Jane!

The next morning we did a little more sight seeing and then headed home. It was a great birthday. I'm so glad that Dave takes care of me and keeps me on my toes!

These songs are dedicated to Grandpa Watson!

2008-07-14T18:36:00.001-07:00

Jane cut her first tooth!

2008-07-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought for sure she would be like my other kids and cut her teeth in the third month (I think Michael was actually in the 4th month), but NO! I stuck my finger in her mouth every morning waiting for them to come through. Everytime she was upset, I said 'oh, she must be teething..." and then no teeth. So, of course, she is perfectly happy and fine and then voila! Teeth. Now, we all enjoy sticking our fingers in her mouth to feel it. Michael unfortunately thinks perfect strangers would also enjoy it and insists that they do.
So, I've become a taxi service this summer. The kids are in "summer school". I put this in quotes because summer school is supposed to be to catch up in school and not something to be looked forward to. Well, here, (probably due to some ultra liberal plan to not make kids feel bad about having to go to summer school), they offer sports, cooking, arts and crafts, spanish, the list goes on. So, Tommy is taking tennis, golf, and rocketry. The girls are taking scrapbooking, knitting, cheerleading, and 3-D art. Michael is taking a introduction to 4-K class. Needless to say, everyone around here participates in "summer school." Then in the afternoon, Tommy is in basketball camp. So, I'm driving everywhere, which I wouldn't mind if Jane didn't mind...which she does!
We're also participating in the local library program which is keeping the kids up on reading this summer. Those of you that are Stephanie Meyer fans, I gave Tommy Twilight to read...kinda as a joke because I didn't think he would read it....he read all three straight through in just a few days. Now, I'm going to get him to read the Host. Or is it too adult.....Opinions please!
Also, any book recommendations for me would be great. I've read all the Mary Higgins Clark books in our library so I need a new author to work through. Thanks!

Summer Lovin'!

2008-07-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Oh, those days of summer! Does everyone live their childhood again through their children? There's probably something wrong with doing that, but I LOVE IT! I love the joy of the slip and slide, the feel of sitting in a wet swim suit and eating a popsicle on a hot day, and even the days of pure 'boredom' from which comes the best days of summer. I'm proudly following my mom's mantra of 'If you're bored, I've got plenty for you to do...' meaning jobs, of course. My kids quickly entertain themselves....hee hee.

Start Down at Page 1

2008-07-05T19:18:00.001-07:00

If you are just tuning in, the vacation will make more sense if you start at day 1. Sorry for all the photos!