Christmas Lights and Other Stuff

My sister Andrea informed me that I am a horrible blogger and need to post something at least every two weeks. Too much has happened and so not only can I not catch up I can't even summarize - so onward and upward or something like that.

Today I decided to hang Christmas lights on my house. I love Christmas lights, and Christmas music, Christmas baking, Christmas spirit and everything Christmas. My husband is opposite - he is all Scrooge. SO, I had to hang them myself. Which I thought would be no problem. I bought the Christmas lights and little hook thingys to hang on the gutters. While Jared was at work today, I got out the ladder and had the kids ready to help. I decided quickly, that hanging Christmas lights was not all I had imagined it to be. I have too many memories of patients I have taken care of over the years with broken bones from falls. But I got the first side done - which was just straight. THen when I got to the front I realized I couldn't hang lights from the ladder- the ladder was too short. I would have to get on the roof. Well, I got on the roof and then decided I had made a big mistake - I did not like being on the roof and to hang lights you have to be right by the edge leaning towards the ground and so I was going to get off and admit defeat except that was a bigger dilemma. Getting off. THat means backing towards a ladder and figuring out how to get down with no adult to hold the bottom . I was stuck on the roof. When Jared called I was pretty much in tears but there was not much he could do from Salt Lake. I decided to make the best of it and get the lights put up . Except the front of my house does not have raingutters so the little hangy things I got didn't work so I resorted to duck tape. And I am proud to say - the lights are up, they look AWESOME!! And I got down of the roof all by myself and I have no broken bones.

Tonight, Jared and I took Danica out to dinner for her 10th birthday. We went to the CheeseCake Factory in SOuth Salt Lake or Jordan or whatever it is called out there. Danica and I met Jared who had just got off work. The food was good - and the cheesecake was awesome. But I would NEVER want to live anywhere down there - it was suffocating how many people there were. Then we took her to the mall and let her get her ears pierced. For someone who makes a huge fuss about flu shots she did great. She looks so big and grown up and I am sooooooo sad my kids are getting big. I have been working on a project of making all my homevideos that are on the little tiny tapes into DVD's while I still have the equipment necessary and my kids were little!! Now they seem sooo big and grown up and I just want to FREEZE THEM!!! In fact, I am watching right now as I type this the Rasmussen Christmas Pageant 2004. Kayli and her two kids and Kami and Leo and Amy and kids were all there but everyone was a little! Even Ethan! And I was thinking for a long time that the baby Lindsay Ann was holding was Hailey but then I finally realized it was Kiersten. She would have been just a few weeks old. It was awesome!
Anyway, I am off to watch a Jazz game with my hubby. Have a good night all.

Monday

Can I just say that I am exhausted??? Last week was a killer. Monday I bottled peaches with my mom, my sister Andrea, and my sister-in-law Lindsay Ann. I did 42 quarts and Andrea did 28 or so and that was a lot even with 4 of us working on it. Then Tuesday, I worked my 24 hr shift at Davis hospital and Wednesday morning I left from the hospital to drive to Salt Lake City for a meeting regarding reimbursement of CRNA's in the state of Utah. It was brutual. Lots of MD's bashing CRNA's and stating "what poor quality of care" the people in the state of Utah will get if this funding policy passed. It is ridiculous CRNA's already practice independent in Utah it is just a reimbursement issue for hospitals. Anyway, when I got home on Wednesday Jared and I butchered 13 of our meat chickens, skinned them, cleaned them and froze them. THat was a huge job! Then I had YW's. Thursday we did the other 11 chickens before Jared had to leave for work. Friday I worked 10hours at the Moran Eye Center at the UofU. Saturday soccer games for Danica and Lynnaea in the morning and then I cleaned my house and did laundry. I recorded the RS broadcast but haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I just really needed to get some things done Saturday. Sunday, I had saved one of the biggest chickens and I cooked in the roaster with dressing and we had mashed potatoes from the garden and it was delicious! The kids said it was like thanksgiving dinner. Lindsay and her friend Lindsay came out for dinner as well and that was fun to see her. I saddled Fancy and gave all the kids a ride and then the YW president and I drove around delivering announcements for the activity that I am in charge of on Wednesday to all the inactive YW. That took about an hour and half. Now it is MOnday and I am back at the Moran and so tired I can't see straight. Sigh. Someday I know my life will slow down. That is all that I have to say.

Anders was tagged!

Anders was tagged a while ago but because my monitor has not been working I couldn't do it. So, here it is finally!

Name: Anders Kendall Barney
Meaning: strong, manly, courageous
Age: 2 1/2
Nickname: Antwoin (his dad)
Favorite Activities: playing with his siblings, playing on the playground, riding his 4 wheeler and tricycle
Favorite Foods: Sweets!! Mac and cheese, pancakes, egg in the basket
Least Favorite foods: vegetables,
Favorite Toys: Cars, trains, and MONSTER TRUCKS
Favorite Book: Machines (his book about boats, trains, trucks, etc)
Favorite Clothes: don't think he cares
What makes him happy: going on a 4 wheeler ride with his dad, playing at a park, treats
What makes him sad: when his dad left to go hunting today and he couldn't go
Funny Story: Last Saturday Jared actually worked a day shift so we went on a date that night, so I showered and then put on my housecoat so I could go get the kids dinner going and get things ready for the babysitter. Anders looked at me in my housecoat at 5:00pm and said "no, not THAT! That is for breakfast!" HAHAHAAA - Kids know more than you think and it's funny that he recognized I usually am in my housecoat when I am cooking breakfast for the kids!!!

Well, I was going to post pictures of my kids at the state fair but my card was full so I took it to Costco to get the pictures developed and then cleared the whole card before I loaded them on the computer. No new pics - sorry. Just finished visiting teaching and now I must go feed Lynnaea lunch and get her out the door for school. Later.

Sunday Afternoon at Snowbasin

First off - don't I have the cutest kids ever?? And really, I can't take credit for most of the pictures - Danica was playing with the camera for a good part of the walk and took all the close ups of the kids faces (hence hers isn't in there) and the scencery pictures. We went on a family walk to pass off a scouting requirement for Myles at Snowbasin last Sunday. It was very nice. We found a HUGE wasp nest and Myles knew what kind of wasp (paper wasp) and how they use their salivia to make the paper nest. That child amazes me. It was fun.

This weekend, I went to my mom's house Friday ate dinner and then went to Ethan's football game. They won!! YEAH!! Ethan caught a pass for a touchdown and made a tackle that knocked the guys tooth out but he was mad because he had one dropped pass. You can't be perfect all the time though right? It was fun. Then Saturday am we went picking chokecherries. My kids whined and whined even though I kept telling them the story of the little red hen - you don't pick the berries you don't get the chokecherry jelly. Luckily mom and Aunt Denise where there to help pick berries or we never would have gotten enough. I also got stung by a bee right on my lip!!! I am going to have to go to lip rehab with Larry the Cucumber!! It hurt really bad! I put a penny on and held it on for 5 minutes and it really worked - it took the pain away. However, not the swelling. I had a nice onesided fat lip this morning. One of my friends asked me at church - "did you get braces" and I said "no, I got lip implants - I'm going for the pamela anderson look". She looked at me and didn't say anything and I started to laugh adn told her I got stung by a bee and she said "I was really worried - you never know these days!" HAHAHAAAA - Anyway, after we got home from picking - we juiced ALLLLLLLLLL the berries and made one batch of chokecherry jelly. 32 cups of juice makes only 7 1/2 quarts of choke cherry jelly just in case you were wondering! Seems like a lot of work for not very much. ANyway, it is delicious!

Today, Sunday, I was going to take my kids to the Morgan park and try to scout out a place to take Barney pictures but a storm rolled in and lots of wind and rain - so instead we played Clue. A couple of weeks ago we played Life - and I am not sure which game is more painful. Life is not bad but it is SOOOOO long - and Clue - is hard with little kids and everyone sees everyones cards and they still can't figure it out!!! I don't know what we are going to do tomorrow for Labor Day- we were going to go 4 wheeling one more time but it is still suppose to be rainy and COLD!!! My tomotoes better be okay - I have only eaten ONE red one so far!!! Anyway, have a good night.

First Day of School

TOday is the first day of school! Sad times - it seems like the summer flew by and now my kids will be gone all day except lynnaea half a day for kindergarten. THey were so excited! I remember being excited for school and getting out of bed to look my book bag with everything in it for school. Now, I have kids in school!!! How does this happen?

Danica going into grade 4 this year!!
Lynnaea is starting pm kindergarten this year.
Myles looking so grown up - is going into grade 3. They are so cute!! We had FHE last night and talked about safety issues, and being respectful to teachers and other students and Jared gave all five kids a fathers blessing. He is such a good dad!!! I finally have piano lessons worked
out - YEAHH!!!!! That has been a stress for me and this lady is really expensive so I hope she is as good as everyone says. Soccer starts this week too. SO, life is about to get really really busy again. Sigh.

Lagoon

We took the kids to Lagoon yesterday. We promised them we would go once this year - and the summer has flown by and we have never made it, so yesterday was the day. It was HOT!!!!! We arrived at 12:00pm and stayed until 9:30pm and my feet were killing me. It was a good day to go though because the lines weren't that bad - I think some school districts are back in school already so that could be why - we start tomorrow. Jared, Danica, MYles and Lynnaea went together and went on all the big rides. I couldn't believe Lynnaea she went on the Rocket (the one where you go WAYYY HIGHHHH UPPPP in the air and then plummet to the ground (I went on that one too - it was scary!)), Wicked (which Danica wouldn't go on), the Spider and Colossus. She is a brave girl!! I took Kiersten and Anders and we went on every single kids ride in Kiddie Land. They were soo cute to watch!! I didn't take my camera because it is so worrisome having to leave your camera unattended to go on family rides like the Rattlesnake Rapids(one of our favorite rides as a family) where you will get wet - and I just didn't want the hassle. I gave each of the kids $5 to spend on games after warning them profusely that the games are rigged so you lose - but Myles still ended up in tears because he didn't get a big prize. Anders got the biggest prize at the pick a duck game. We went on the Ferris wheel at the very end of the night together as a family - and that was fun. Lots of cotton candy, rides, games and fun had by all. Must go see my patient now. Have a good day.

Babies!!!

Okay, so I am feeling left out that my sisters are getting to post cute pictures of their new babies so here are pictures of OUR new babies!! This is Casper - check out that dish!


Here is another shot of Casper the day he was born - cute ears!!!
Here he is a couple of days ago -getting mauled by the kids.
Here are our baby meat chickens - they are only a couple of weeks old but they are already very big!!

More of the meat chickens and to the far right is a blue silkie - she has feathered feet and she will have a top hat. Cool, eh?
Here are the newest batch of baby cats. They are very cute - just opened their eyes.

Here is Kiersten chasing a goat.

Babies are sooo cute!!