The Adams Family

Josh Graduated!

2010-06-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Josh graduated! YIPPEEE!! He actually graduated in December, but he went through the graduation ceremony May 23rd. He looked so adorable in his cap and gown. I can't believe how grown up he is! I love him SO much! He is now preparing for his mission in January.

Camping w/Dad!

2010-05-15T10:12:00.001-07:00

Friday night (5/14/10), there was supposed to be a father son camp out and Sariah and Abigail were supposed to do an overnight camp out with the young women. Well, for some reason both of these events got canceled. The kids were SO disappointed! Tom decided he was going to just take all of the kids and let me have the house to myself. I LOVE camping, but I SO needed some me time too. They went to circle G campground about 10 miles south of Carthage. They had SO much fun. They rented paddles boats and canoes. The most fun they had was playing with they clay they found! What a muddy mess. I so enjoyed my time alone and ended up going to the movies with my good friend Lori. They came home this morning a muddy mess, but I was SO glad to have them back. Tom is such an awesome dad and husband. I am so grateful that he loves doing things with his family!

Making Noodles w/the neighbors!

2010-02-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today our friend and neighbor, Annee Childs, came over to teach the kids and I how to make homemade (from scratch) noodles. The kids had so much fun, and some were even fighting over who could help. Annee made it so fun by actually making the dough right on the counter w/no bowl. The kids really got a kick out of that, but not as much as seeing the dough be cut into spaghetti! That was COOL!! After we were done and cleaned up, we cooked the spaghetti and sat down together to eat it. It was SO yummy and very filling! The kids LOVED eating there own creation. We plan to do all sorts of really fun stuff with pasta now. Thanks Annee for all that yummy fun! By the way, her sweet hubby comes twice a week to teach my kids and I Spanish. What would my homeschool be like w/out such cool, smart neighbors?! The Childs family ROCKS!!

Our home is for sale by owner!

2010-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

We started a new blog for our home. The web address is homeforsalebyownerinnauvoo.blostspot.com. Below are the pictures we posted on the blog. Check it out!

And the rest of Christmas vacation. . .

2010-01-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

This post will be broken down into three areas: Christmas Day, Extended family, and service at Grandma and Granpa Zumbrun's.

First, Christmas Day. . .
On Christmas day we were still in the house on Dauphin Island. Because of the expense of the trip itself we really didn't do much in the way of presents. Tom's mom bought them a few, but the majority of them were gifts given from each other (the kids). I loved seeing the excitement of the kids giving each other used and homemade presents. Tom bought me a beautiful love pearl that I got to pry out of the clam. I think the kids were just as excited as I was. I then put the pearl into the necklace and Tom put it on me. Then as tradition would have it, we had a huge Christmas breakfast. We spent the day hanging out, playing games, and of course watching The Christmas Story. What fun!

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Then a visit to see family. . .
After leaving Dauphin Island we traveled to Tennessee (8 hr drive) and stayed the night with my brother Jon and his wife and two adorable children. It was a short visit and their kids weren't feeling the greatest, so we were not able to take pictures. Actually, I just forgot to bring my camera in. Their little Alex ended up going to the ER. I felt so bad for them.

We left the next morning and drove to Indiana (7 hr drive) and got to see a bunch of my family. I LOVED seeing my family. I hadn't seen my brother Dave and his family for a while.

After some fun, we helped G & G Zumbrun move, clean, remodel, and organize their new and old house. They sold their home and bought a new one. They got a great deal on the new house, but it needed a lot of work done on it. The kids really pitched right in and helped (all the way down to Eliza). You'll see in one picture that they worked so hard Abigail even fell asleep right on Grandma. Cute! We really enjoyed having the opportunity to help. It was hard for us to leave with them having so much left to do. We ended up leaving Alexis and Cambron behind for another week in order to help them. G & G were SO grateful. Can't wait to see the final results!

Lambert's Cafe

2010-01-26T11:18:00.001-08:00

While staying in Dauphin Island over Christmas break we went out to dinner for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. We go out every Christmas Eve. However, everything in the area was closed then so we went a day early. We traveled to a place called Lambert's Cafe in Foley, Alabama. It was the home of the "throwed rolls" as they said it. They were full of tricks, jokes, fun, and more food then any person could ever eat.

Tom waited until they got clear across the room then stood up and said he wanted a roll. He threw it clear across the room and hit Tom right in the chest. Our waiter played tricks on the kids throughout the meal. He pretened to dump a pitcher of root beer that was actually a pitcher of molasses. He pretened to dump fake plastic food, tied straws, had fake animals jumping out of food, and more! The kids had a blast and laughed through most of the meal. The food was great, the service was friendly and fun, and the prices were good.

Dauphin Island Day 1

2009-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Today was our first day in Dauphin Island, Alabama for our Christmas vacation. We are staying in a beautiful home for a week. We are in walking distance to the beach (Gulf of Mexico), tennis court, and play ground. We spent some time on the beach today. The kids even got in a little (burrr). It was 55 degrees today! Loooving it!! We got to see a whole family of dolphins. It was hard to get them on camera, but we were all excited and amazed at their beauty and majestic nature. I just knew that would be the highlight of my day, but I was wrong. As I was walking some of the children back, Eliza stepped on a burr and began to cry. I turned around to help her only to see that Spencer had beat me to it. He helped her limp at first, but when that was not successful, he have her a piggy back ride. THAT was the highlight of my day. I LOVE it when my kids show love for each other w/OUT being prompted to do so by a parent. I will post more pictures as the week goes by. As for now, I am in heaven w/my sweet children and heroic hubby!

Gabriel got stuck carrying all of Spencer's things when he was carrying Eliza. He stopped in the middle of the road to put on his shoes and resituate his load. I said, "Gabriel! You are sitting in the middle of the road!". The look of confusion and panic on his face was priceless!

King Benjamin's Address

2009-12-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

On Friday (12/11/09) Tom invited the families of all of the Seminary kids to Seminary. They are studying Mosiah 2-7 on King Benjamin's address. Tom, Josh, Cambron, and I went to the church the night before and set up tents, chairs, audio visual, and a sky lift in preperation for "King Benjamin's address". We were so excited at the turn out Friday morning. The gym looked amazing and fun. Tom dressed the part and went up on the sky lift (a little scary for me). He discussed and read part of King Benjamin's address while families sat in the tents. It really was a great way to bring the scriptures to life. Afterwards, they watched a short video while they had refreshments. He expressed to the parents how much he loved the Seminary kids. I hope this very thought out activity really made the Seminary students feel loved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-11T08:02:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we stayed home and spent time as a family. We didn't have anyone over and didn't go anywhere. We LOVED it and had so much fun. Abigail and I painted a Thanksgiving sign on the window. We also had fun making homemade name tags and napkin rings for the table. Tom sang us a song before dinner. We had our dinner in the evening because Tom had to work. He only had to work so that he could have more vacation days to use over Christmas break. We are going to Alabama for a week (Dauphin Island), and then up to Indiana for a week to see all of my family. We are SO excited!!

Happy 12th Birthday Abigail!

2009-12-11T07:43:00.001-08:00

Happy 12th Birthday Abigail(11/24)!! I asked her a few weeks ago what she wanted to do for her birthday. Without hesitation, she responded, "I want to go to the temple and then out w/my friends. That is exactly what we did. Cambron, Sariah, Abigail, Tom, and I all went to do baptisms on Abigail's birthday. Later that night, her and her friends Elizabeth and Caitlyn, went to see The New Moon movie. Lori came w/me and we all had a blast! I can't believe how grown up she is now!

Our Trip To Utah during Sariah's 13th Birthday

2009-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

While we were in Utah, Sariah turned 13th (on the 15th). Before we left I bought her a cake and the kids had a little party for her on Sunday. Then her and I went out the next weekend and watched a movie and went to dinner. I really enjoyed the time alone with her. I can't believe she is an official teenager!

Tom and I took a trip to Utah by ourselves. Tom's sister Cassie was sealed to her hubby in the Bountiful Temple and Tom and I flew out to witness it. It was a wonderful experience that we were honored to be a part of. Unfortunetly, I did not get any pics of the family, but we did get some pictures of our day spent on Temple Square in Salt Lake. I had a glimps of what it might feel like for people to come to Nauvoo and bask in the beauty of it all. I loved being on Temple Square and doing a session in the Salt Lake Temple. It goes to show that no matter what Temple you are in, the Spirit is so strong. I LOVED seeing family, being on Temple Square, AND being alone w/my hubby!

As for the dog pictures. . .We took our friend's dog to Utah w/us. Having a dog ON the plane w/us was quiet an experience! Harry was not very happy with being crammed in a small bag and shoved under the seat in front of us. It seemed inhumane! Tom couldn't handle it so he did a no,no, and unzipped the bag so Harry could at least let his head out. He did manage to fall asleep for a few minutes like that. He was so cute, and Tom was so sweet with him. He was SO happy to be out when we finally got to Utah!

Our sweet friends Tacy and Jessie took care of the bulk of our children. My kids fell in LOVE w/them both. I am so grateful for such awesome people that I can trust w/my kids. I am even more grateful that my children didn't scare these women away from wanting children :o)!

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Injuries, B-days, Projects, Sports, Seminary, and much, much MORE!!!

2009-11-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

So I must again repent for not keeping up! My computer was SOOOO slow that it took me SO long to do any blogging. Well this new laptop is a speedy little burger! Thank You my honey. Our family is doing great and keeping very busy. I hope to take more time to blog now. As for now, here is a quick cap of the last few months.

Sariah sang in the school choir. She has a gorgeous voice! This was on Monday October 19, 2009

Tom invited me to Seminary one morning. He is SO amazing! It is no wonder all of the students love him. He really loves the students and loves teaching them.

We started home schooling 6 of the kids (7 when Sariah is dones with basket ball) on Monday October 19, 2009. These are some pictures of Tom teaching the kids a science lesson/experiment. He is such a GOOD teacher. We had lots of fun and learned something fun and new!

Sariah on Super Hero day!

OUCH!! Alexis had to get 6 stitches in her left hand. Thanks AGAIN Janette and Rob; you always stitch us up! This happened Thursday October 29, 2009

We have been baking bread nearly everyday! YUM!! This is a picture of a our 9 grain bread. The kids and Tom LOVE the smell and taste of home made bread. Do not be fooled. This was NOT baked in an oven. It is all done in my bread maker.

Alexis playing volleyball. She is pretty good, but I HATE the shorts! She looks a little too cute in them.

Cambron played fall ball this year. He is fast, a good hitter, and can pitch well! His team won sectionals, regionals, and went to state. His team was amazing this season!

Gabriel and Spencer just "hanging" out w/dad. Oh how I wish the picture could have sound. The giggles were priceless. :o)

This ALWAYS seems to happen when I make the smoothies too thick and kids can't wait for a straw! hehehe

OUCH again! Cambron broke his hand back in July (2009) at boy scout camp. He broke it playing football on a Thursday and insisted on going to finish the last 2 days of camp. He had a blast, but his hand is still not 100%.

HALLOWEEN!!!! One of our favorite holidays. We always go all out for this holiday. Everything from costumes, parties, snacks, trick-or-treating, plastic flys in ice cubes, and body parts in punch. Halloween is a fun family tradition in our house. After all, we are the Adams family. *snap* *snap*

HAPPY 10th Birthday Emma Jo! She is a entire decade now!

This picture is Tom with his pet bird Mango. We got her from the Steen's for his graduation present. She LOVES him and squaks every time he walks in the room. She loves to "snuggle" with the top of her head to your cheek. She is a great addition to our family.

YEAH!! Josh is working on his Eagle and this is his Eagle scout project. Ok, ok, ok, so did not start out so great. We were late, the camera would NOT work, forgot the donuts, the NRI gate was not open to get the equipment, and the truck got stuck. Ugh! But all else went well! The project will be finished by next Saturday!

Edible art! Yum. We are studying the first Thanksgiving and the early American history. These Tee Pees are made with sugar cones. We had so much fun making them and they were yummy too!

Our Trip to Indiana to see Notre Dame!!

2009-09-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

For a graduation present from Glenn and Jackie they got Tom a ticket to see the Notre Dame/Michigan State game. The night before the game we went and took a tour of the universety and the Stadium. It was so AWESOME!!!

FINAL score ND 33 MS 30! YEAH Notre Dame Irish ROCK!!!

This is such a cool picture. This picture is known as the "Touch down Jesus". I can see why. (lol)

After a long day of traveling, seeing the stadium, visiting w/family, and more, Tom was VERY tired! Poor guy feel asleep faster then Brooklyn did. . .

NOW FOR THE TRUE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. . .BROOKLYN!!!

Happy Birthday Eliza!

2009-08-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

On August 26th, Eliza turned 6 years old. Wow, time has gone so fast. It is hard to believe she is my baby! We made her a special breakfast before school. Then we sent cupcakes and ice cream for her class at school. After school she went out to dinner with mommy daddy. She wanted Chinese. Then we took her to Wal-Mart to get her ears pierced, but there was nobody there to do it. She was so sad, so we let her pic out a really pretty necklace. At home, we gave her the present we got her. All in all she had a great b-day! We love you Eliza. You are a GREAT little girl!

Happy 14th Anniversary to us!

2009-08-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Today is Tom and my anniversary. We have now been married 14 years and are still madly in love. For those who don't know, Tom and I met in the Chicago Temple on June 7,1995 and were married 2 1/2 months later in the Chicago Temple.

I wish words could express how I feel about him. Tom gives me such a sense of security and comfort. To some that may seem boring, but what in life is better? I know that my husband loves me. I know that he cherishes me. I know that he will always take care of me emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially.

I have loved the last 14 years of my marriage and really look forward to the many years to come. I know without doubt that Tom and I will be together forever! Having that knowledge makes all things seem bearable AND exciting. I am excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for us and our family.

Family Vacation during Cambron's 14th b-day.

2009-08-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

From August 13-15 we took a mini family vacation to Quincy. We stayed at the Comfort Inn and had lots of fun. Friday night we met Rob and Janette Glass at The Best Buffet for dinner. That is our favorite Chinese buffet and some of our favorite friends. We went swimming at the hotel that night and played cards.

On Saturday we swam in the morning then went skating at Scottie's Skateland for 3 1/2hours. We had SO much fun and falls! Our friend Zach met us there. That night we had been invited by the Arnold's to join the Quincy Ward picnic. We went to Wal-Mart and got lots of food for the picnic and for later that night. We hung out with the cool people from Quincy and the kids got to see new and old freinds and play guitar. After the picnic we came back to the hotel to do some more swimming and celebrate Cambron's 14th birthday.

On Sunday we went to the Quincy Ward. We stayed after and got to witness Zach Hussey getting his priesthood. That was quiet an honor! All in all, we had a blast. We got home just in time to go to the open house for Warsaw school. The kids are going there this year and we are way excited.

The vacation was perfect for our family to have right before school started!

Tom the Fix-It Man

2009-08-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I knew Tom could fix anything he got his hands on, but he is just SO busy with school, work, and other desperate repairs that I just didn't want to bother him with the washing machine. We bought a warranty on the machine, so I thought I would just call them. Well, by some default my washing machine wasn't even registered. They couldn't even find my washer with the serial number.

I pleaded with Tom that if he would just look at it for now I would figure out the warranty later. So Tom, being the sweet amazing husband that he is, went to work. Sorry, but to a mother of NINE a washing machine is the most important piece of equipment in the house.

In short, it was a blessing that we didn't have the warranty info because it would not have covered what was wrong with my washer. The pictures below will explain.

Tom digging his hands in. He knew there was a clog. He thought maybe it was a sock.

hhhmmmm. . .what is in the pan?

Cambron pours the contents into a strainer.

Nasty!! And smelly! Is that money?

And the grand total? $3.26! Enough to buy Tom a good boy treat! Thanks Tom! That is a sign of TRUE love. A woman can't live without a washing machine!

For Sale Sign in Our Yard

2009-08-09T07:52:00.001-07:00

Several people have stopped by, called, emailed, and texted me to find out why there is a "For Sale" sign in my yard. I thought I would just explain to all so there would be no more guessing and wondering.

To answer the questions. . .Yes, we are selling our house and yes we are trying to move. The big questions have been "Where?", "Why?" and "When?". I hope to answer all three without giving too much info. The "where" is easy. We are moving to Warsaw, IL and will be attending Nauvoo 3rd Ward. The "when" is really up in the air. It depends on the sell of our home and our faith.

The "Why" gets a paragraph all on its own. There are a few "whys" to our move. The number one is just plain and simply because we feel inspired to. We feel Heavenly Father's desire for Warsaw to grow. Perhaps it is time for members to be in Warsaw? Anyone want to join us:)? The most exciting reason for our move is our family. The home we are moving to is out in the country on a BEAUTIFUL piece of property. It is quiet, peaceful, and serene. The view is breath taking. Tom and I are excited to get out where we can be together more as a family.

For those who would like to see pictures of the home we are moving to, go to jeffwiemelt.com and click on listings. They are divided into locations. Go to the one in Warsaw, IL and then click on the little red icon that says 360 degree tour. Please keep in mind that the pictures of the view do no justice for what you see in person. If you live close by, call me and I will be glad to take you out to see the property.

Until the move, could you all pray for our family that this will work out. We know without doubt that this is meant to be, and we are SO grateful for the suppport and love of friends and family. It is comforting to know that you have enough faith in us that we are not being judged.

Please know that leaving Nauvoo is VERY hard for us. We love the peace and joy of living in the shadow of the Temple. It is also hard for me to leave my home, friends, and the Yound Women. We have done so much to this house and the home we are moving to is much smaller. However, I know without doubt that this is what Father in Heaven wants for us and I am willing to do this because I LOVE Him and am grateful for ALL my blessings. How could I ever tell Him no?

Thanks for understanding and for all your love and support. My joy in life would be nothing if I didn't have such awesome friends and family. I love you ALL!!

A Tribute to Josh

2009-08-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to be slipping away from me. A few days ago I seemed excited about the idea of school starting again only because I need a little structure back in my life. However, as it gets closer, I find my heart aching. I know that this is Josh's last summer with us and I wish there was a little more time.

You see, I'm the type of mom who loves my kids with my whole heart, but the thought of them going off and leaving brings me excitement. This isn't because I won't miss my kids, but rather an excitement of what their lives will bring. It's more of a curiosity I should say. I'm curious to see what great things they will accomplish in their lives. I have complete confidence in my children. I know without a doubt that they will do great things.

While I am very excited to see Josh move on to bigger and better things in life, I feel a twinge in my heart. I don't feel like I got to have enough time with him. I cannot begin to tell you what a great joy it is to me that he has made the choice to serve a mission. I know raising him has brought me a lot of heart ache and worry, but as I see him mature and grow to be more like his dad each day my heart swells with great love and joy! I am excited to see him grow physically and spiritually. I feel as though I now have a young man in my presence in place of a boy.

Josh will graduate this December and leave for his mission around January of 2011. I only wish there could be a little more time with him as he is now. What a great young man he has turned out to be. And to think of the MANY trials and challenges he has been through in his life. He is a prime example of what the Savior can do to heal a wounded soul.

Josh, I love you and am SO proud of who you have become. You will be a great missionary some day and an even greater husband and father! And thank you Tom for being such an amazing example of what a father and husband should be!

Summer Catch Up!

2009-07-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

Ok, with summer here life is more busy then ever! We stay SO busy during the summer that I haven't had time to blog. Sorry. I am going to give a short summary of many of the things we have been doing this summer so far. Sorry, this may make it a bit lengthy!

Alexis, Sariah, and I went to girl's camp this year. As usual, it was in Troy Missouri. It was the HOTTEST week of the summer, but I really enjoyed it. I loved being there with my two girls and we really had a lot of fun. We did a Zipline and Sariah did GREAT, I was TERRIFIED, and Alexis got too scared. If you want to see all the pics of that go to my facebook (melissa zumbrun adams). Next year, I will have three girls there! Camp was June 23-27

At the very end of school, May 30th-June7th Tom took all the kids (but Alexis who went to stay w/her Aunt Melissa in MO) to Utah to see family and help his mom paint and do other needed projects around the house. They went to the Copper Mines, the open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, a water park, and spent lots of time with family. Where was I? At home, ALL by myself and loving it. I went to the Temple nearly everyday and sometimes more then once. I really did enjoy the break before summer got going full force. My hubby is awesome in every way!

JULY 4th!!!!
Our good friends (The Steen's) married off their oldest daughter Sage. She was married in the Nauvoo Temple to Zach Scott. It was a beautiful wedding and a gorgeous reception!

Then we went to the fire works in Quincy, IL. We had company staying with us (Merlin & Louis Blad) and they took us to our favorite restaurant in Quincy (Best Buffet). Then we went on the river to watch the fire works. They were SO awesome and we really enjoyed the time as a family. However, Josh could not be there due to work :(. We missed not having him with us, but we did have a great 4th together.

Gabriel's 7th birthday (July 8th). For Gabriel's b-day Tom and I took him to a movie (Disney's Up), out to lunch and then shopping. He picked out a pair of shoes for his present. Later, we had a b-day party for him and our good friend Kim. Gabriel was excited to share his b-day party w/Kim. He then went swimming w/his family and friends. I really love my little guy! Tom and I really enjoyed spending the time alone with me. The day was topped off perfect when he said, "Mom, this is the BEST birthday I have ever had." He is so loving and easy to please! Gabriel also learned how to ride a bike this summer. He loves riding around town with his older brothers.

Tom has also been busy, busy, busy! Him and the boys built a fence on the south side of the house. I love it because it gives us privacy while we swim and have family fun in the back yard. We put our pool up again this year and it takes a lot of work to keep it clean. However, the kids LOVE it and Eliza is a little fish in the water. Tom also made a golf course around the yard. It is SO cute, and the kids have fun playing golf, but we make them use a foam ball so they don't cause any damage. We also did some updates in our kitchen this summer. Tom put in new laminate wood floors for my b-day and we had Lowe's install new counter tops. I am loving my new kitchen. I don't have pictures, but we also put in new carpet in Alexis' room, the stairs, and the hallway area downstairs.

The kids are staying busy as well. Josh is now working full time for NRI (Nauvoo Restoration Inc.) as a painter. It makes good money and keeps him busy. Alexis is working for Annie's Custard shop and still takes care of Nicolas on Saturdays. Her boss at Annie's loves her and thinks she is a great, friendly worker. Cambron works at the concession stand for Pageant nearly every night, hangs out w/friends, and does some odd jobs for money. Sariah does some babysitting, works at concession, volunteers at the Matthew House (a cat house in Carthage), and has starting tumbling class. She and Abigail both pay for the tumbling lessons themselves by trading babysitting for the instructor. They both love it and seem to have a natural talent for it. Abigail and Emma Jo both played softball this year. They both wished that they could pitched, but enjoy playing just about any position. Spencer, Gabriel, and Eliza swim, play golf, play with friends, and hang out at home. As for Tom, he is in his last semester of school. He is taking over twice the load he should be, but will graduate August 31st! We can't wait! As for me? Well, I just keep my head above water trying to keep track and take care of my beautiful brood! I love my family and summer. We also seem to always have people coming to stay with us for the summer. We have had people staying with us since June 23rd and will have people here almost till mid August. Just in time for school to start and summer to be over. Only wish we had hotter weather. But hey, our electric bill looks good when we don't have to turn on the AC. I promise I won't let so much time go by. This blog to FAR to long and I do believe that I learned my lesson. Sorry for any typos, but I am not about to proof read!

Spencer's Scout Day

2009-07-08T16:48:00.001-07:00

A fun day of scout's for Spencer. He ended up winning 3rd place in the boat race! They had lots of fun and ate ice cream out of a rain gutter. He doesn't look so happy because he got grounded from his bike right before he went. That is a major let down for poor Spencer. He had a great time after a while! :) He LOVES scouts and looks forward to it every week!

A Fun Week of time travel, hats, school spirit, and MORE . . .

2009-05-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, this last week was "fun" week at school and each day was a new day to dress up in a fun way. Our kids really got into this. They had so much fun. In the begining of the week the other students kind of teased some of our kids, but they didn't care. They kept having fun and by the end of the week the other students thought the kids were so cool. I am proud of the kids for doing it no matter what. It was a fun week!

Monday was "backwards" day. I have a confession on this picture; it wasn't taken on Monday. When I told the kids that I was going to post the pictures on the blog they said, "You can't put all the days on there and not Monday." I told them it was too late and they said I should just "recreate" the picture. We did that on Friday, but I didn't get what the hair looked like. The girl's had me put ponytails on the top of their heads so that their heads looked backwards too. They even put sunglasses on the back of their heads. They had so much fun and looked so cute.

Tuesday was HAT day! I actually had to straighten some of the girl's hair so they would look "cool" in their hats.

Wednesday was blast from the past day! The 3 girls were from the 80's. Sariah was from 1800's. She was Jane Austin. The 2 boys were from the 70's and 80's. I think this day was their favorite day!

Thursday was Hawaiian day! I found some leis and hair flowers on clearance at Wal-Mart. I had to leave early that morning so Sariah & Abigail took the pictures after I had everyone dressed. That is why we had to take two pictures.

This was Friday (5/15); school spirit day! The kids loved having their faces painted. The boys REALLY thought it was COOOOOL!! They also wore school colors. Cayden Mathews was at our house that morning.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T05:53:00.001-07:00

As always, I had a GREAT Mother's Day. I started my day with talking to my mom for about an hour, then my hubby and kids brought me breakfast in bed. They made lots of fresh fruit and vegan sausage. It was really yummy. Then came the cards, gifts,and coupons. Let me just say that home made cards and coupons are the BEST mother's day gifts ever. I felt like a princess sitting in my bed. Then came the present from my hubby. . .you know, the one he was NOT supposed to buy do to our new "wants and needs" program we are on. However, he claims we "NEED" to keep the mom happy, and mom was not happy w/her old camera. I LOVE my new camera. The picture of my room shows the cool panorama option. I can't wait to take some beautiful scenery pictures with this option. Thanks Tom and kids for such a wonderful Mother's Day. You are what being a mother is all about. You make everything worth it. I love all of you SO much!

The Family Play House

2009-05-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is too cute! Saturday morning (5/9/09) I went to the temple and then to Stake Meetings for Young Women. This is what I came home to. My sweet hubby and darling children were building a play house. They were using some old wood given to us by a friend Tom helped. Tom had all of the kids working and they were all excited to be doing it! This is just the base and they have since then built the walls, but I will get more pictures posted later. Watching my hubby and children work together so happily just gave me warm fuzzies. I can't wait to see the finished project. As for now, it is time to finish Alexis' closet. I love my family!

Josh & Sariah Go To The St. Louis Zoo

2009-05-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Josh and Sariah went to the St. Louis Zoo on Tuesday May 5th with the Cox family. Yes, we let them skip school to go. The zoo is educational right? They had so much fun and Sariah took some great pictures of the animals. I didn't post all of them, but they are all gorgeous! The girl w/Sariah is her best friend Ruby, and they have a 19 year old named Bret. Josh and Bret are really good friends. By the way, Bret just got his mission call (5/9/09) and he is going to Argentina (Spanish speaking)! How exciting! Congratulations Bret!!

Cambron Went on a Plane Ride!

2009-05-03T05:05:00.001-07:00

Our neighbor across the street from us (Bill) is a pilot, and he came over Saturday afternoon (5/02) and asked if Cambron wanted to go on a plane ride w/him and his son Cole. I have to say first that I never would have let him go had I not complete trust and faith in Bill. I was so excited and grateful to Bill for Cambron to have this opportunity. Cambron was VERY excited on one hand, but actually quiet nervous on the other. It was cute to see him so nervous. I ran and got my camera and told him to take pictures. These are a few of the pics he took. I love the one of the Temple. Bless his heart, he was so excited to take a picture of our house from the plane. Do you see the picture of our house? If not, it is becuase he took a picture of our good friends and neighbor the Steens! lol. He said, "Mom, I thought that was our house. It is hard to tell from up there." Bill said he would take him up again sometime and use his fancy camera that zooms in. I'm glad Cambron got to do this. How Fun! Thanks Bill and Cole!

Alexis & Sariah were in a Fashion Show

2009-05-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Alexis & Sariah were models in a local fashion show on Saturday April 25th. They got to model clothing and costumes of local designers. They modeled designs by Nadine Klein and the photographs were taken by Nauvoo Portrait Studios (Denise Felt). Thanks ladies; my girls had LOADS of fun and looked gorgeous!!

Family Marshmallow Roast

2009-04-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday (April 16th) we went outside and had a marshmallow roast. We had planned on having it during spring break, but the weather and time kept getting in the way. It was cool because we had regular marshmallows and then we had strawberry and carmel flavor. We didn't even know they made those. What will they come up with next? As you can see from the pics, Eliza was a very sticky mess. The fire pit you see was built by Tom, Josh, and Cambron. I have very resourceful boys:). We really enjoy sitting around a fire. We can't wait to go camping this year. Our family loves doing things outdoors. Bring on the summer weather!

The Hannah Montana Movie

2009-04-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Over spring break the girls and I went to see the new Hannah Montana Movie. The girls and I did our fun thing and Tom and the boys went and did their fun thing. They went and played at the park with some fun new "sports toys" they bought. I am the one that had the camera, so the girls pictures are all we have. Aren't my girls a bunch of dolls? Oh, by they way, the Hannah Montana movie was actually a lot better then I expected it to be. I really thought I would "endure" for my girls' sake, but I actually really enjoyed it.

Mormon Prom

2009-04-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Josh got to go to a tri-stake "Mormon Prom" in Columbia Missouri on April 10th. It was for the Laurels and Priest (16 & older). Four girls and three boys from our ward went all the way to Columbia, MO to this Prom. Josh looked SO handsome. He went and got his hair cut that day. From what I heard, he was one of the best dressed boys there. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

The Easter Cantata

2009-04-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tom had the wonderful opportunity to play the role of the Savior again in the town's Easter Cantata. Usually this is held as a full production and Tom would have several lines and a few songs. Due to the JSA stage being gone they went to a more simple route. They did a monologue and singing. Tom did not want to do it at first. However, the director gave him free range to say whatever he wanted. This really made Tom excited. He does such an amazing job and it really felt good to watch him play this role. Sariah and Cambron got to be "angels" in at the end. They look so cute! This was done the same weekend that we did General Conference, so it made for one really full weekend.

Performance times were: Saturday (April 4th) 7:00pm, & Sunday (5th) 2:00pm

The Granny Awards and Ninja PJ's

2009-04-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am putting two things together here. First, Sariah and Abigail were in a school play for 5th & 6th grade called "The Granny Awards". Sariah was Snow White and Abigail was Little Red Riding Hood. By the time we got their make-up put on I was a little freaked out how grown up and beautiful my girls looked. I think Alexis was just as proud as I was.

The other set of pictures are of the boys. Gabriel got a new pair of pj's that had a ninja on it. He wanted to pose like the ninja on his shirt. His older brother was trying to show him how to do it. It was SO cute that I just had to get my camera. Then all the boys wanted to join in (even Tom). Wow, I have such cute boys!

Happy 15th Birthday Alexis!!

2009-03-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

Alexis had a few friends over for her 15th birthday. It wasn't anything big. We had some snacks, a cake, some friends, and watched Twilight! I can't believe my baby is getting so old! That night we went to the YW broadcast. It was great to be there with her and Sariah. I hope you had a great birthday Alexis!

Abigail had a seizure and passed out at Casey's!

2009-03-21T14:50:00.001-07:00

I was quietly working on my computer when a woman ran to our door telling Cambron to get his mom quickly. I ran out the door and Louis told me Abigail fell down at Casey's. Casey's is right across the street from us, so I ran over there and walked in to see my baby laying on the floor just pale as a ghost. She looked sick, white, and scared. When she saw me tears came to her eyes. That really chocked me up, but I knew I had to appear strong. When I asked what happened, they said that she was just standing there, starting "twitching" then fell over (from a standing position). She hit her head three times on the shelves in front of her before finally hitting her head on the ground. Ouch!

By Heavenly Father's mercy, there just happened to be a paramedic in the next isle over. He was already taking care of her when I came in. It was his wife who came and got me. Because they were not sure why she passed out and because she hit her head so many times they decided it would be best to call an ambulance. I agreed 100%! I wasn't about to take a chance.

I was SO grateful that Rob and Janette Glass showed up to take care of her. They are such good friends that they are like family to us. Janette wasn't even on duty, but she rode in the back w/Abigail. I rode up in the front of the cab. At one point in time I felt this bad feeling that she was probably scared back there w/out me. I looked back and saw these two people that I know,love, and completely trust. My next thought was how much I KNOW these two people love my daughter. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort. I am SO grateful the Glass family is part of our lifes.

Thank you to the Deprima's, the Glass', Leah (& other worker's @ Casey's), and all the hospital staff! And thank you to Abigail's sweet friend Racheal who had to witness the whole thing. How scary for her!

Ok, I couldn't resist. . .here are some pictures of my sickies!

2009-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the most pathetic face is. . . .

Tom. . .

A House Full of Sickness!

2009-03-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

Out of respect for the ill, I do not have pictures to show. It would be a sad, pathetic picture if I did. I offically have 6 sick children and one sick hubby. I feel like a nurse at a hostipal making rounds. I've been taking temps, giving drinks, cleaning up puke (tom's), cleaning spills (kids to weak to hold their own water), and giving meds (well, silver biotic & emergenC). All this I'm doing while trying to sanatize the house in order to prevent myself or the other 3 survivors from getting hit w/the bug. My poor family is miserable with fevers, headaches, aching bodies, chills, & sore throats. Tom is the only one throwing up.

Tom says I could be put away for attempted murder for giving him the tonic I did yesterday. I gave him a tonic w/garlic, ginger, lemon juice, cayenne, and honey. He nearly blacked out after drinking it. Then he tried to get up to throw it up, and threw up on our bed and the floor before making it to the toilet. The nice thing is that I just took off all of my bedding to wash it, so he did not get it on my bedspread. Lucky for him. He teased the kids when they got home and said I had tried to kill him. Our home teacher and another friend came over last night to give all the sickies a blessing.

Today is another day of mommy playing nurse. I may not get paid like a nurse, but it is a good thing that Heavenly Father pays well, because I need all the strength I can get right now! But hey, I've always said I would rather deal w/it all at once, then one at a time for weeks. So the question is. . .Now that I am in the middle of it, do I take it back? Nope, I would still rather get it over with. Bring it on!!

Spencer's Baptism & 8th Birthday

2009-03-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

Spencer turned 8 on January 12th. He was baptized on 1-17-09 by his dad. A lot of people came and then we had a b-day party for him. The baptism was great and Spencer was so very sweet. I am so honored to be his mommy. He wants so hard to always do what is right.

New Bathroom Begins

2009-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so our bathroom is begining. Pat had to cut into and make a hole in the cement for the tub and toilet pipes. This is quit an ordeal, but Pat is doing an amazing job of course! Our cat Jack was investigating. Pat says that Jack is his supervisor and is making sure he is doing everything right. Tom & I went to Quincy yesterday to a discount store. We were able to find the vanity & top for half the price. We are way excited. The basement (beside the bathroom) should be done soon!

Carpet Starts today!

2009-02-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, the carpet is finally being installed today. They are really having a hard time with the tack strips. Tom put the tack strips in before, but because of the hardness of the cement they are having a hard time sticking. The carpet guys have already busted two drill bits!

The Boy's Suite gets remodeled!

2009-02-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

Josh & Cambron painted their own room. They did good. Tom cut the bunk bed apart for them. I repainted the bathroom. My friend Kim & I painted and remodeled Gabriel & Spencer's room while they were at school. We wanted it to be a surprise.

Basement updates

2009-02-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

We finally painted! Yeah! You can't tell by the pictures, but the family room is light blue. That's not what I wanted, but I know I will love it once I get the furniture and decorations down there. Tom loves his green office. Tomorrow Tom will be putting down the tack strips, and the carpet will be laid Monday. Yeah! Pat has already started in on the bathroom. I'll post more pics on Monday.

Jack enjoys the new updates

2009-02-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

Our fat cat Jack really enjoys the new construction. We caught him hiding in the wall. It's a good thing we didn't "dry wall" him in!

Freezer washing at the Car Wash

2009-02-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

We were giving a freezer away, but it was WAY disgusting! Tom had the idea to take the boys to the car wash to wash the freezer! This really cracked me up!

Girl's Bedrooms

2009-01-26T16:27:00.001-08:00

Sariah and Emma Jo have the orange & pink room with the little black seats. The seats fold out to beds. The girls love having the extra space. The carpet isn't in yet, but we can't put that in until the rest of the basement is done. Abigial & Eliza have the pink & white room w/the striped bed spreads. Abigail helped paint most of the "dots" on the wall. We had a lot of fun painting. These rooms will be SO much better when the carpet is in. We ordered the carpet from Lowe's last Friday. Pat also built the wall for the stairs today. Under the stairs we put a little window in so the kids could use it as a little play area. They were all pretty excited to see the window. I'll post pics of that later.

The Stairs are in!!

2009-01-22T15:33:00.001-08:00

Pat was able to get the stairs in today! For those who don't know, we are finishing our basement. We are adding a living room, three bedrooms, and eventually another bathroom. We already have a set of stairs, but wanted to add another due to the length of the basement. By the time we are done, our home will be 8 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms. All but the bathroom, will be done if a few weeks. The bathroom will be built in a few months. We are so excited for the extra space. Pat Hallman is doing a great job! We are so grateful for him. If you want quality, inexpensive, fast work, he is the man to hire!

Revamping my Blog

2009-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

I was so sad to have lost all of my old posts, but very grateful to my sweet friend Jamie for fixing my blog. Thank goodness some of my pics are still on there becuase that is what takes soooo long. Our home construction is going very well. The man we hired, Pat Hallman, is very good and fast; and oh yeah, very reasonably priced!! I will be posting some before/during/after pics soon. Our house has actually changed a lot since the first real of pictures down below. It has been a lot of fun to see our home transform!

Vist to Indiana to see Jackie, Glenn, & Brooklyn

2009-01-19T08:54:00.001-08:00

I went with Lori Hardle to see Jackie's baby Brooklyn. We stayed for a week and truly enjoyed ourselves. I fell madly in love with sweet little Brooklyn. She was born on Christmas Day 2008. She is one precious baby, but very stubborn! I really missed my family, but I had a REALLY hard time leaving them. I miss them already!

Our Christmas Trip to Gatlingburg, TN

2009-01-19T08:53:00.001-08:00

For Christmas this year we decided to take a trip. We went and stayed 9 days in a beautiful cabin in Gatlingburg, TN! We had a very relaxing, fun filled time. We went to Wonder Works (the upside down one) and enjoyed Hoot 'n Holler. Hoot 'n Holler was a dinner show. The kids were called up on stage in the begining. Tom was called on stage 3 or 4 times (that's what happens when you are so good looking). Spencer was called on stage and made everyone laugh. He refused to say what the man was telling him to say. All the man wanted him to say was that he wanted to be a cowboy when he gew up. Spencer refused saying, "But I don't want to be a cowboy when I grow up.". It was so funny.
One of the days we went to Ripley's Aquarium. It was AMAZING! I love sea life. The kids got to pet sting rays. I loved the tunnel aquarium the best. We also went on a few hikes. The weather was great for winter time. It was in the 50's & 60's most of the week. The trails there were goregeous! I would love to visit Gatlingburg in the summer. This Christmas was GREAT!! We came home to Pat Hallman having a good start on the construction.

Our New Home

2009-01-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

We moved into a new home on October 1, 2007. It has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. It is such an upgrade in size from our country home. The kids are loving the space and so is mom & dad! It also has 2 kitchens in it. We have already done some painting and plan to do some updates to the house. We are so grateful!

Personality Photos

2009-01-19T08:50:00.001-08:00

I had a lot of fun taking these photos. I have printed them out in black and white and they are hanging above my piano at home. These pictures really do protray my kids' personalities. A few of them were not happy saying, "That's not me." I'm afraid to say their mommy sometimes knows them better then they do. hehehe

Emma's Baptism

2009-01-19T08:49:00.001-08:00

Emma Jo was baptized on her birthday, November 4th, 2007. It was a beautiful day. Tom did the baptism and confirmation. She was so sweet and innocent.

Halloween 2007

2009-01-19T08:48:00.001-08:00

We love dressing up for Halloween. Tom and Dave Hardle took the kids trick or treating and Lori and I stayed and passed out candy.