New Pictures of Derek

As soon as I published the pictures of the other kids, I knew I really wanted some pictures of Derek. So I had my friend Jen Dille take some of him. I think she did a fabulous job. I think he looks pretty handsome, if I say so myself:)

Shay's Homework

Last week for homework Shay had to write Halloween words to an existing song. She chose the song Dynamite by Taio Cruz and these are the words we came up with together. We were pretty happy with how it ended up. Here's the real song for the tune.



I came to spook, spook, spook, spook,
I hit the neighborhood
Cause that’s me trying to get my loot, loot, loot, loot
I’m wearing all my favorite
Suits, suits, suits, suits
Cause that’s me trying to look cute, cute, cute, cute

It goes eek and eek and eek
And it goes eek and eek and eeeek

I throw my candy in the air sometimes
Saying Boo
Gotta spook
I want to celebrate and eat my candy
Saying Boo
Baby, ooooo

Cause we gon Trick or Treat
We gon’ go all night
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night
Cause I told you once
And I told you twice
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night

I came to party, party, party, party
Get out of my way so I won’t be tardy, tardy, tardy, tardy
I’m on the street so I’m going to boo, boo, boo, boo, boo
Cause, that’s what I came here to do, do, do, do

Ye, ye

Cause it goes eek and eek and eeek
And it goes eek and eek and eeek

Yeah!

I throw my candy in the air sometimes
Saying Boo
Gotta spook
I want to celebrate and eat my candy
Saying Boo
Baby, ooooo


Cause we gon Trick or Treat
We gon’ go all night
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night
Cause I told you once
And I told you twice
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night

I’m gonna take it all like
I’m gonna be the last one Trick or Treating
I’m all alone and I
I’m gonna be the last one eating
Cause I, I, I, believe it
And I, I, I
Want to achieve it
I just want it all, I just want it all
The candy is so rare
I don’t want to share
So put your candy in the air


I throw my candy in the air sometimes
Saying Boo
Gotta spook
I want to celebrate and eat my candy
Saying Boo
Baby, ooooo


Cause we gon Trick or Treat
We gon’ go all night
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night
Cause I told you once
And I told you twice
We’re gonna fright it up
Like it’s Halloween night

New Pictures

My friend has been taking a lot of photoshop classes and photography classes. So she sent an email out that she would be willing to take kids pictures in the ward for a much smaller fee than the school was offering. So me being cheap took her up on the offer. The pictures turned out pretty good. Especially when I offer the kids blizzards. Whenever Matt would want to quit taking pictures all of us would just say blizzard and then he would be sure to smile at the camera. I didn't get Derek's picture done this way, because he had already gotten his picture done at school. So here are the pictures of the 3 youngest. I kind of wished I would have paid for Derek to get his picture done this way too.

Here's Matt:


This is Matt's smile he would do everytime he was reminded of eating a Blizzard.




Here's Adam:






Here's Shay:

Shay's Idaho report

All of the 4th graders have to do a report. Shay chose Idaho, because her best friend Britany lives there. They have to do a written report,oral report, visual aid, and a project. Shay chose to do a big cookie in the shape of Idaho (or I did). It was the easiest selection at the last minute. Mark's solution for the cookie was to just bite the side out. Since it looks like someone bit the side out of Idaho anyway. We didnt end up doing that I just took a picture of the shape and tried to copy the sides as best I could. Shay helped with the mixing of the cookie dough and putting the lakes and rivers on. Idaho by the way has lots of little bodies of water.

Mark and I went to see Shay do her oral report in her classroom I was really proud of her. She spoke up and could answer all the questions the class asked. The school has a presentation day where all of the 4th and 5th graders display there projects. 4th graders state reports and 5th graders important people reports (Derek's was Robert E. Lee when he was in 5th grade). Shay dressed up as Peekaboo Street. Which was easy, because we just dressed her up with all of our old ski clothes.

Mothers Day 2011

On Saturday the day before Mothers Day my sister-in-law Jackie and I went out for lunch to Costa Vida, got mani/pedi's, but before that we went to the Salvation Army.
We had started to look at all the fun stores by Costa Vida, but then my sister in law suggested we go to the Salvation Army. I was actually thrilled by that. My new passion is finding things to make over. I have been looking and thinking about a coffee table for quite awhile. It happened to be 45% off at Salvation Army that day so I got this table for a total of $18. I was extremely happy. My sister in law found a few treasures of her own. I thought it was kind of ironic that going to Salvation Army was more satisfying for me than going to Anthropology.
BEFORE:


AFTER:


I'm still unsure about the color apple green. Even though its the color I really love right now. You can see from the picture that I went a little to crazy with the stain trying to make it look old. The stain dried real quickly, but that can be fixed as soon as I remember to buy one of those magic erasures. It's actually perfect for our family. You see it provides a place for the little boys to stand, crawl under and sit on the bottom. My older son and daughter were pleased because it was the perfect place to hold food while your watching tv. My husband was excited there was now a place to put the laptop. So yes I aim to please.

It was a great mothers day. My dad came over and made his homemade waffles for dinner topped with ice cream. They were delicious.

Easter 2011

This Easter was close to the time my mom died. So I felt a little melancholy, but was extremely happy to be reminded of all the things I'm thankful for. Shay as a bunny and especially the savior. It's because of his sacrifice that I can see my mom again. What a wonderful gift. Every time I hear this song I think of the savior and how he saves me everyday. These were the thought that kept going through my mind.

Matt and his shoes

I got these shoes for Matt a couple of months ago. He loves them dearly. I'm not sure why maybe it's because he can put them on himself. All of my other kids have wanted nothing to do with shoes.
When he gets up in the morning the shoes go immediatly on.One time I was gone at night and I saw when I got home that he had gone to bed with his shoes on.
The other day I was trying to figure out how to get him to stop saying bad words like stupid, dummy, idiot, and butt. Then it occured to me that everytime he said that I would just take away his shoes for a punishment. Well guess what it works better than time out or any spankings for that matter. (Yes I spank) All I had to do is warn him that he would be losing his shoes and he would immediatly stop. Awesome, heh. Who could have known

Tour de Mesa

Back in April Mark, I and a friend Kristine did the Tour de Mesa (formely known as the Tour de Phoenix). Kristine did really well and beat us both. This was her first race too. Mark was a little disappointed in the time since he came in 1/2 hour later than he did last year. I thought I would do better too. I did come in a 1/2 hour earlier than the previous year though. I just thought because of all my practice I would come in significantly much faster. It didn't happen though. The winner of the race finished in about 2 hours and 50 something minutes, while it took me 5 hours. Those people at the beginning of the race must be kicking it the whole time. Taking turns helping each other out. That will be my next goal figuring out how to get faster. I would be ok with finishing in 4 hours next year. I can dream right.
I did have a neat experience that I wanted to write down though. I was riding up this hill on Shea. It's pretty steep. I hadn't really been thinking about my mom before, but all of the sudden there she was in my mind. I heard this voice in my head that said Go Yvette Go. It felt like it was my mom rooting me on. I got teary eyed and had renewed energy to kick it up the hill. Thanks, mom

Happy 3rd Birthday Matt!!

Matt I am so glad you came to live with us 3 years ago.

Your personality at this point can only be described as crazy, silly, feisty

stubborn. You are shy when anyone other than the family tries to hold you. You are

shy when poor Grandpa Hall tries to hold you every Sunday. When your home and with Adam you love to scream and pull jokes on people. Yes already! You keep us laughing when you act like a cat, sing the words to songs like Uh oh I want some more What are you waiting for or Meow Meow I want some more. You dropped Beary and adopted a new stuffed webkinz cat that you affectionately named Brown Kitty. You love and take care of him like your own baby. You love for me to hold you and hug you all day when the kids are at school. I love it when you say

Mommy I want you. You bring the tender side out in Derek, especially when you give him kisses. Your a little crazy right now with your new hobby of taking off your

diaper and telling everyone that your now naked. No potty training anytime soon since you are afraid of falling in the toilet.You idolize Adam and Hunter and want to be just like them. You do and say what ever they do. You always pick someone on a cartoon that you want to be. Like your always Walle and Hunter is Eve from the movie Walle. You and Hunter fight over which one of you is Sponge Bob when it comes on. Hunter is your best friend.

We are not sure what we would do with out you. All of us love you so much and are so glad you came to live with our family. Happy Birthday Matt!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 with very sharp knives.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 are at it again.


Yesterday when I was talking to 2 ladies in my living room. Matt and Hunter were in the dining room with these. It was awesome!



Matt and Hunter were fake slashing each other with these. The ladies that I was talking to both gasped and said Wow those are real! It was only a few seconds before the real slashing began. The boys both asked me what the knives were used for. Since I realized they didn't understand, I tried to remain calm and told them they were for cutting food only. One of the ladies has 7 children and the other one has 9. They weren't judging me or anything, but they said we've never had a kid do that before. I just figured they aren't as lucky as me:)and got myself a lot of chocolate.

Temple Ground Pictures Once Again

I thought I'd share some more pictures, because they are great for a laugh. These ones are great of Derek and Shay.

I feel jealous of the people that have beautiful pictures on their blog. A lot of my friends took a family picture on this site also and had the picture blown up. Its is now displayed beautifully in their living room.

We took about 16 pictures and none of them turned out very well. Just know that I think my younger sons were longingly looking at the ground in hopes to throw just one more dirt clot. I, like I usually do spoiled the fun once again, when I told them we were just there to get a picture. So that's why they have such great facial expressions. Never realized until today that so do the older ones. So here they are: several pictures of either blurry nothingness, people making crazy faces, or people staring at dirt clots on the ground. UGH!


Derek with taco tongue and Shay with a great expression herself





Shay's doing some crazy expressions herself in the last 3 pictures


Oops. Wait a minute who are those people way out there?

Gilbert Temple Grounds Pictures 2010

Once again playing catch up. The stake presidency asked us to get a picture of our family on the temple grounds before the temple groundbreaking. So of course we tried to be obedient. A family picture with little kids is always an adventure though:P, right. Here are the pictures: It seems that either the adults were doing something crazy or the kids were. Some of them didn't turn out that bad while others leave me laughing out loud.


My dad and I are still talking here and doesn't Matt look overly thrilled.

Aren't these faces of Adam and Matt awesome!

Adam and Matt once again...

This ones not to bad. Everyone is smiling:)

Again the hair in the eye for me. Adam's face is awesome once again.

Mother and Daughter Activity

Playing catch up. Last year around the last week of April seemed to be one of the busiest I had ever had up to that point. So I never got these pictures documented and wanted too. This is Shay and I at the ward Mother and Daughter activity. You were supposed to dress in the style that was popular when you were the age of your daughter. Madonna was starting to be popular then. So I had Shay and I dress up with leggings,big long necklaces, rubber bracelets, and big scarfs tied with bows on our heads. Shay was mortified when I started teasing and curling her hair, because of course its popular to wear it straight these days. I told her the bigger your hair was in the 80's the more beautiful it was considered. I think she kinda believed me. This is us before the event.






The event was fun. They had us play a bunch of fun games that we would have played when we were that age. Like: red rover, chinese jump rope, and hopscotch.

They also had a fun set up with a old fashioned phone that you could get your picture taken together.


Photo by: Amy Miles