Wrestling/Missing Tooth/Honor's Reader/Getaway!

It has been a busy week mainly for Brennen. He reached what they call here in school "Honor Reader". This is where they read thirty chapter books and a few other things with reading. The kids get a hat from the library that they get to wear all the time at school. They have a "school sing" once a week in the gym where the whole school gets together to sing and cheer on the honor readers for that week. The librarians come in the dark gym with light sabers and the Star Wars theme song playing. They call up the children who have reached honors, second honors, etc. The children get to hold a flashlight on their face and say their names. They have a big screen pulled down on the stage where the kids get to do the "honor reader" dance. They have a black light along with a strobe light. The kids line up and get to do dance moves across the screen until the song ends. Brennen had a fun time dancing! It was fun for Parker and me to go watch him.
The middle set of pictures show Brennen and his cousin tonight trying to wiggle out their teeth. Brennen was able to get his out. Taylor, worried that it was Sunday, and knowing that I never carry cash with me ran upstairs and said "Mom, do you have money to put under Brennen's pillow tonight?" So much fun having a child in on the SECRETS! I don't think kids take debit cards so I will have to scrounge tonight!!!!
The first set of pictures shows Brennen's first official wrestling match. Brennen is only eight years old and weighed in at the eighty five pound range. He is a big kid for his age. We drove to Cokeville for his match. We waited three and a half hours, watched his two cousins wrestle, his good friend wrestle, the neighbor kids wrestle, and finally, they came to get to the heavy weights. He wrestled two other kids and won the silver medal. He pinned the first kid and had a good match losing to the second kid. I was so proud of him. He did well remembering some of the moves the coaches had taught him. I really hope that he likes basketball instead when he gets older, but here, wrestling is the sport to play. I hope my nerves are ready for this intense sport! He's loving it and so, for now, wrestling it is!!!
This weekend, Shane and I traveled to Pocatello for Shane to take the Praxis II test for teaching. Long story, it's required here in Wyoming. He had taken the test over ten years ago to get into the college of Education. They dispose of their records after ten years. So guess who's records were deleted??????!!!!!! Luckily, the school district hooked us up with a hotel room for the night and paid for the test as well. Shane and I took this opportunity to drop the kids off at my parents house in Soda while we enjoyed one night alone. I think everyone should get away even just for one night. It was so great to go back to where we both attended college and lived. We had so much fun driving around to the different places that we lived and remembering so many fun memories. The food was great too! I miss Mandarin House!!! We also took this opportunity to drop in on some old friends of ours too. It was a great trip and a much needed one. It was also nice for Shane to be done and over with this test. (Sorry-forgot the camera on our little getaway!)

When the kids were weighed in, they wrote with permanent marker on their arm the weight and age. Here is Brennen showing off his muscle with his marked arm. Hyrum Heuseveldt-cousin, Brennen Harris, and Jarom Heuseveldt-cousin
"You want a piece of me???"

Nice pin buddy!

Silver Medal

I accidentally posted these pictures backwards. Here is the smile with the missing tooth.

Here is Brennen and his cousin, Hyrum Heuseveldt wiggling their teeth.

Showing their teeth-still in the mouth!

Brennen in front of the screen dancing with the blue light and the strobe light. (He's the kid on the right.)

Getting ready to say his name with the flashlight for Honor's Readers

Brennen and his friend, Logan at the school sing. Parker thought it was fun to hang out with his brother.

My cute little honor reader! Dad and I are proud of you B!

SWIMMING? Oh Yeah! Gym Time Too!

This weekend was so much fun for the kids. My brother Rob and his family invited us to go with them to Jackson Hole to go swimming at their indoor rec center. Shane had to spend all day Saturday in his classroom getting ready for a sub for a couple of days so that he could go to Casper for a teacher conference. I decided that we would go with him to his classroom for a little while to let the kids play in the gym until it was time to go to Jackson. The kids loved playing with the basket balls, hockey sticks, dodge balls, basketballs, footballs, jumpropes, hoppidy(sp?) balls, yoga balls, etc. The kids and I then followed Rob and Rachael and family to Jackson Hole (about a 50 mile drive-not too bad). We had so much fun. Parker and I hung out most of the time in the kiddy pool, I couldn't help myself from thinking that I was swimming where the little kids don't get out to go potty. Ha Ha-GROSS! Luckily, I never saw any floaters in the water phew! No, it was really a lot of fun. Parker loved chasing the ball around and playing with the noodles. He smacked every kid in the head that came within reaching distance of his noodle. (The bully of the pool!) We got brave and went down the big hydrotube slide. He was terrified! We decided to stick to the kiddy pool slide. Uncle Rob became the designated slider on the kiddy pool slide with Parker. After about a half hour of going up and down the kiddy slide, Rob came and asked Rachael and I if we were done swimming-he was tired and ready to go!! Thanks uncle Rob! We are glad that Parker wore you out! Taylor and Brennen hung out mostly in the hydrotube pool. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of the kids coming out of the big hydrotube, but I did get them coming down the kiddy slide. They also had a ton of fun doing summersaults in the water and jumping off the sides. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins in the pools. When we pulled back into Star Valley, we went back to Shane's school where Shane was still working. We went back in the school to play in the gym-this time we had Hyrum, Rob and Rachael's boy with us. The kids played for a couple more hours until Shane was done. It was a really fun day. We hope to go swimming again sometime soon-this time, hopefully Shane will be able to come with us!

Parker and his noodle

Brennen coming down the kiddy slide

Taylor's turn!

Taylor jumping off the side-way to plug the nose!

Brennen playing with the ball

Brennen and his cousin Hyrum-good buddies!

Watch my trick mom!

Me too!

Rob's job for the day-taking Parker down the kiddy slide!

Big smiles! "Again" says Parker!

In the gym at Shane's school

good swing Parker!

Kick a goal B!

Beach ball volleyball-good bump Tay!

Grandparent Valentine Weekend

It's been a busy couple of weeks! To start off, we had a Grandparent Valentine's Day Weekend. Grandpa and Grandma Heuseveldt came to Star Valley to see the kids on Friday, the 13th. We had Rob and Rachael's kids too because Rachael went to the Drill Team Competition and Rob had to work. Grandma Heuseveldt thought it would be fun to decorate sugar cookies with the kids. They loved it! Especially Parker! We also went out for ice cream and a tour of the big town of Afton Wyoming. Mom and Dad Heuseveldt had to go home that evening so we packed up and on Valentine's morning, we went to St. Anthony to visit Shane's family and some friends. Shane took his mom out for a Valentine's lunch-funny story! Shane had his wallet with the debit card and credit cards in it (of course-who carries cash anymore?). He and his mom happened to pick a restaurant that didn't except any of them-cash only!!!! They didn't find this out until after they had eaten. Shane had to ask his mom if she would pay for the dinner and he would pay her back when they got back to the house where I had the check book in my purse! He felt so bad having her do that!!! Needless to say, he has squared away with her! Grandma Harris gave all of the kids a Valentine with money in it. We had a family Valentine's dinner with Papa Murphy's pizza-the garlic chicken is the BEST! Shane would have to disagree with me! We had a really fun weekend with both sets grandparents. We love them all for their efforts and love they show us. We have the best! This past weekend, we were back in St. Anthony for Shane's Uncle's funeral. Shane had to speak, I had to sing, and Shane had to pray twice. He's a good man! (I forgot my camera the second trip.) That's been our lives for the past couple of weeks.

"Parker stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! Couldn't be! THEN WHO?"

"GRANDMA HEUSEVELDT stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! Couldn't be! THEN WHO?"

"MOMMY stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! You're right-BRING THEM ON!!!"Here I am patiently waiting for my cookies to be frosted. Tay is the photographer for the day!
"After you dip your knife in the frosting can, don't lick it and then put it back in there!" Ha Ha! I'm sure we shared a lot of germs that day!

Grandma H. with Tommy and Jarom frosting their cookies.

There is no correct way to eat a sugar cookie. This is Parker's way. Lick off all of the frosting and leave the cookie.

Tay says "I'll try Parker's way!"

St. Anthony with Grandma Harris reading Parker his Valentine.

Grandma Harris with all but three of her Grandchildren

Brennen, Taylor, Shad, Kailee, and Laker (missing: Parker, Shayna, and Riley)

Shane and Parker taking a rest from the activities of the day-waiting for the pizza to cook.

Shad and Brennen-cousins hanging out and having fun!

Shad, Laker, and Parker "Say cheese!"

Parker was ticked off getting dressed for church. This is his pout-who gave him that cookie anyways?

We went to our old ward in St. Anthony so the kids could see their friends. Tay had a sleep over at her best friend Natalie Chelson's house. She loved it! She misses her friend. This is a pic of the kids right before church.

Grandma spoiling the kids again! Hot chocolate and Twizzlers-yum!

Fun times!

House Update

I have promised to keep you all posted on our house situation. Great, well, good news! Our house in St. Anthony was shown for the first time this week since last summer. We haven't heard anything yet, and we might not, but we are encouraged that there are actually some people looking again. We have been so blessed by all of our circumstances so far, I hate to keep asking for our house to sell; however, keep us in your prayers! I know it will sell when the time is right.

My List of BUGS!!!

Thanks to my sister in law Vicki, I have been tagged to list things that really BUG me!! I guess, before I answer, I need to say that, AS LONG AS WE ARE LOOKING, there will always be things that bug us in life! We have to try to look past all of the BUGS to be TRULY HAPPY PEOPLE; however, it is so much fun to vent the things that bug us. There now, with my therapy session over ha ha, here it goes!

1. I'm with Vicki, when I lived in Idaho (close to Rexburg), it drove me crazy when the college students held relief society in the isles of Wal-Mart.

2. Along the lines of shopping, It bugs me when I'm in a hurry and run to the 10 items or less isle and someone in front of me has a cart full of at least 100 items!

3. It bugs me when my kids come home from school and leave their bookbags, coats, etc. all over the front room floor. It doesn't matter how much I tell them that's not where they go, it still happens everyday!

4. It bugs me when I save myself the last cookie-when I finally go to eat it (major craving), it's gone and no one fesses up to it!!

5. It bugs me when Brennen can't sleep-he has insomnia or something. He is just not sleepy and can't go to sleep, then he is frustrated because I'm frustrated, and then he cries. In the process of crying, Parker wakes up and cries. Then in the morning, Tay tells me that we woke her up too. Then, everybody is grumpy for the day. Aggghhhh!

6. It bugs me to hear people talking bad about other people. Can't we all just get along? I guess what bugs me the most about this one is that we are all guilty of this at one time or another.

7. It bugs me to have to be reminded to do something that I have forgotten about. Where is my brain?

8. It bugs me when people cough into their hand and then touch things. (No wonder we all get sick!) USE THE SLEEVE OR ARM PEOPLE!!!

9. It bugs me when people ask "How's the house selling coming?" If it were coming at all, trust me, the whole world would know!!! (Hasn't been shown since July of 2008 for all wondering-even with a $10,000.00 price reduction.)

10. It bugs me when the oil companies (and executives) have record breaking earnings while we pay for it!! Supply and demand???? What's up with that?

11. It bugs me when it's Shane's turn to drive the carpool to work and I'm stuck with the dead truck on a day that I really need a vehicle. (Anyone have jumper cables that don't require another vehicle to help the process? I think that might be my next birthday present for myself! Ha ha!!)

12. It bugs me when I have forgotten a load of laundry in the washer and they smell the next morning so I have to restart the load and waste more soap.

13. It bugs me to go a day without showering or washing my hair. I feel so GREASY!!

14. It bugs me when I see people NOT wash their hands after using the restroom. GROSS!

15. It bugs me to drink out of the same straw or cup as someone else, or to share a fork or spoon with someone even with my own kids. I'm a germ freak I guess.

There, I feel much better, or worse that you all know these horrible thoughts that I have. I tag Jennie L., Lisa O., Jennifer W., Kathy B., Kim I, Rachael H or anyone who want's to let their bugs out of the jar!! It's funny to read other people's bugs! I found myself shaking my head saying "oh yeah, that bugs me too"! I guess the list could go on and on IF WE WOULD LET IT! Have a great day!

Second Ski Trip for Tay/My Little Princess????????

We went back to Cokeville for Taylor's fourth grade second ski trip. This was so much fun because all the kids learned how to ski last week so this week, they were all on the lift and the hill. It was TWENTY SEVEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO before we left WITHOUT the wind chill. (They don't cancel school here for anything!!!) One hour into skiing, we had one girl with frostbite on her ear. There was a little breeze at the top of the lift so add that windchill to the negative degrees-IT WAS COLD!!! You know how kids are though, they still had a blast. By the time we left, they said it was ten degrees at the top of the hill. I don't know if that was below zero or not, but I'm sure it was. I spent a lot of time in the lodge this time pulling boots off of frozen feet for the kids. They definately came in and warmed up more this time.

Here is Tay coming down the hill. After one run down the hill, the kids had to come in and warm up before going out and up again. Tay was so cold! Check out the rosy cheeks! If you look closely, there is ice on her hair where she breathed on it.

Four pairs of socks didn't even keep the piggies warm. They were so red when she came into the lodge. Several kids shed tears as their toe numbness wore off and they were able to feel the sting. OUCH!!!

Taylor sitting in the lodge thawing out!
I was able to ride the lift to the top with Tay and her friend. I took pictures on the way down. It was beautiful and COLD!

Taylor and her friend on the lift. Dont' they look cute and COLD?

Tay at the bottom of the hill. Check out the icy hair!!

Tay and me with three layers of clothes on plus snow gear! We were ready for the weather. I felt like the little boy on the Christmas Story who was so bundled up he couldn't put his arms down and could hardly move! I love having time to do these fun things with my kids. I am blessed!

Is this my new princess? Poor kid, it was bound to happen someday with a girly girl of a sister.

Tay has always wanted a little sister! "Enough dad says, go take it off!!!"