Keagans getting tall!

We have our measurements on the hall wall. We just measured Keagan and he has grown around 4 inches in the past year! When Melissa was 10 she passed me up and grew a lot of inches that year. (I'll have to go back and check where I wrote it down... I want to say 6 or 7 inches) Keagan has said for the past couple of years that he can't wait until he is 10 so that he can be taller than me, looks like he might make it..... cause you know I am sooo TALL! (5 foot 1/2 inch!)

Who do my kids look like?

Les & I were just talking and she said she looked at my sister Cindy's blog of a picture of me and my siblings (the middle picture) and thought Melissa looks like me and Keagan looks like my youngest brother Adam. I have always thought Keagan looked like my brothers... When Melissa was younger, I thought she looked more like me, but lately I have thought she looked more like Ray. Here are some pics for you to decide.

This is Ray in 5th grade!
This Ray at age 15.

This is the picture Les was talking about... I was in 7th grade, not too happy about getting my picture taken (hmm, kind of like Melissa now) Eric, Adam(our baby) and Cindy. I do love this picture, you can tell it was really getting old when I scanned it.
Ughh! I really hate this picture, but here I am in 7th grade, I forgot about picture day that day... and forgot about retakes.... if that would of done any good.... Before the really big bang days, my hair never did do that cool feathering thing that others did.
Adam our family baby when he was 3, I think Keagan looks a lot like him.

Seaside Oregon

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here are some pics from our mini vacation get away. My mom and Thom are members of Trendwest and they called us to come see their presentation. They give you 2 free nights in a "beach view" hotel room and $75 in American Express gift cards if you go to their presentation. The presentation was only an hour or so, so not too bad.

We had a great time. The room was really dated... but it was free! We were laughing at the "beach view" You could see the view from one corner of the room and out on the deck area. Also check out the pic of the hairdryer, it looks like something from my grandma's generation! It was stormy most of the time we were there, but I love the beach when it is stormy! It was nice to have time away by ourselves and not cook or clean for anyone else! Now hopefully we can be nicer parents! :)

Sisterhood

After a General RS broadcast many moons ago, I think this was 1998. Kathy & Les are wearing the silly glasses because we were celebrating their bdays! I was thinking about this when I was at the meeting last night, too. I missed you Sandy!
Sisterhood, Girlfriends, whatever you want to call it, it is all the same. I have been blessed w/ great friends throughout my life! Lately I have been re-connecting w/ some of them and it has been fun. I love when you have a good friend, no matter where you are in life, you can re-connect and pick up right where you left off w/ out missing a beat!

A couple of weeks ago one of my dear friends moved away to Boise and it really hit me hard. She was one of the last in my age group that I had been w/ for a long time that we had kids the same age, etc. She had lived here for 8 years and we were close to everyone in her family. My kids were friends w/ her kids.

Anyways.... I was reminded of how blessed I am w/ good friends and am thankful for all of my blessings!

A Yearly tradition

Every year at the end of September (the weekend before General Conference) we have a General Relief Society broadcast. Every year it really touches me. One thing I love about it, is that whatever you need in your life it seems that is what you hear and get out of it. I was thinking about this today, when at church a couple of different sisters talked about different aspects of the meeting that really touched them. I love that we have a loving Heavenly Father and will let us hear what we need to hear!

Here is what my friend Kathy said about it. Thanks Kathy for looking up those quotes! I was really impressed w/ them, too.

Football & Fans

Kyle is # 77. Katelyn (His sister) does the color guard at half time.

Melissa watching the game w/ her friends.

My brothers were over this weekend and talking about football. Adam was starting to tell me about the North Thurston game Friday, about how exciting it was. (They won in overtime)
I said, "I know I was there."
A- YOU were there
me - Yes, I was there
A- Why?
Me - because my friend's son plays and we went to support him, and it is fun.


I thought it was funny that he was so suprised that I was there. I guess he doesn't know how much I like to people watch. :)


He also told me something that cracked me up. When he lived in Oklahoma, there is a town named Ceiling, so at their football games they are the Ceiling Fans! :)

Keagan at it again!

This is what I caught Keagan doing. He pulled all of the cushions off of the couch, piled some blankets on top of the cushions and then jumped of the top of the back of the couch! Was I suprised? Not really, I just had to pretend I didn't see... until after my pics were taken, and then say oh so calmly, "Uh, Keagan, you really shouldn't be doing that.... you might get hurt." Keagan says, "Mom just one more time... and then I'll clean it up" me - "ok, just one more time" and miraculously he did and he cleaned it up! Wow! And no broken bones, or trips to the ER!

A tribute to Lauren

Make a Smilebox slideshow

No, Lauren didn't die.... well almost... (according to Melissa) she just moved away. The Redding family moved here about 8 years ago and lived just down the street from us for a while. Melissa & Lauren had a preschool group together, went to kindergarten together and the rest of their grade school years together... K-6th. We're excited to be able to have a reason for a road trip and come visit in Boise. I'll have more pics of the rest of the Redding clan soon. We will miss all of them!

DAAAADD, Help me!

A couple of nights ago, I heard, "DAAADD! DAAADDD! I need some help!" coming from Keagan's room. I ignored it, because obviously he wasn't calling me, until I heard it over and over, and figured Ray was outside. I kind of thought this is what had happened... Keagan has a cubby up high in his room, which is great for storage.... he got himself up there, and couldn't get himself down. So of course I had to grab the camera... and keep it steady from not laughing too much.

YIKES!

He was too scared to turn any way to get out. It took him a while to convince him to slide out and dad would catch him. Luckily Ray is sooo strong! :)

As you can see, it is pretty high up.

Careful, dad!

The good 'ol days :)

My best friend from Ricks College (I know - now its BYU-Idaho, but it will always be Ricks, to me) Shelly & me getting ready to go to a dance. This is when I can tell how old I really am..... Shelly recently called me and we have been talking and catching up. I'm so glad for good, eternal friends!! Melissa is named after her, her name is Shelly Melissa. Check out that floor?! Pretty!?! Ok, and the stereo system.... I'm sure we had never heard of MP3s at the point in time, barely CDS. I'm really dating myself.

Our roommates, I'm in the middle left.

high school football

Last Thursday night we went to the local football game (North Thurston) to support my girlfriend Darri's son Kyle who plays. I'm sorry to say that I am a fair weathered fan. I had a good time but when it starts getting cold/rainy, I think I'll have to pass. The weather was gorgous. I enjoy sitting w/ my family & friends, watching the game ( a little) but mostly I enjoy people watching. It is pretty funny to me watching the teenagers and remembering my days at high school football and thinking, did I act like that? I had a good time back then, too. I think back then I did more socializing than watching the football game.... Here is a picture that was in my year book that proves I was actually watching the game..... Can you tell which one is me?

BFF

Sandy, Leslie, Kathy, and me

Thanks for posting Les & Kathy so I could copy your pics!

My good friends, Sandy, Les, Kathy & I did joy school together a couple of years when Melissa was 3 & 4. (Wow, 10 years ago!) Sandy moved to a different part of town, then Leslie moved to Arizona (thankfully she moved back recently) and Kathy moved to Utah @ 5 years ago. I knew Kathy was coming to town, but thought she couldn't make it to visit. My 3 friends suprised me at the end of church w/ Kathy! I was soo excited to see her! What good friends!!!!

Man, am I short!

Being silly.... or?

school spirit day

I can't get her to hardly smile for pics anymore.... this is the best I could get. I get a lot of pics w/ the hand in front of her body.... Here she is dressed up now, the sparkly dress was one of her clearance finds... $2.97! Her school colors are purple/silver. She ended up w/ some purple face paint too.

Melissa dress-up

Melissa's 5th bday present. Our princess. Where does the time go?

Another dress-up pic

Don't kill me, Keagan. This is one of my favorites, too. Keagan is 5, Melissa 9. He has the cow costume underneath the beautiful dress of Melissas. :) I'm sure Melissa helped him into it.....

I'm a little jealous....

I'm a little jealous.... just a little. A little jealous of all of this modern technology, like blogging and digital cameras that weren't around when my kids were little. I remember going to costco and hoping some of the pics turned out good. So many blessings w/ modern technology.... makes me sound old. Because I have been scanning pics lately I think I'll post a few in the next few weeks of when they were little and oh soooo cute! (Not that they're not now) :)

Dress-up

I have been scanning pics from when the kids were little, it takes forever! But then I come upon little treasures like this one! This is one of my favorite pics of them. It just cracks me up. Melissa was 5 1/2 and Keagan was 18 months. Melissa always loved dressing him up, I'll have to post another one of my favorites of her dressing him up. She can't get away w/ that now..... at least long enough for me to get the camera out! :)

Sorry Melissa you are like me

This time I am proud that Melissa is just like me. Call it cheap if you wish, I call it frugal and smart shopping. I recently took her to the mall shopping, she had a $30 gift card from the Gap. We walked in there and she couldn't find anything she wanted.... she said it was because there wasn't anything really that she liked.... I think it was because everything was more expensive. This is the girl who goes to Target and gets things on clearance. One time we were at Target and there was a really cute shirt for $8 or $9, and she had more than $20 w/ her and she said she just couldn't buy it because it was just too expensive. :) She regularly gets things for under $5! Way to go Melissa. Keep it up!

Neighbors new paint job

Our neighbors 2 doors down LOVE the Seahawks. Just a week or so ago they painted their house to match. I don't think the picture does it justice to just how BRIGHT it is. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Isn't there a more subtle Seahawk color?

First day of school morning

Jadyn, Keagan's good friend. She has been coming over to our house before school for a few years now and she came over for 1/2 days when her and Keagan were in Kindergarten together.

Aurora is sooo excited to start Kindergarten, she doesn't go until this afternoon, but she is all ready to go!
Jadyn & Keagan.
Aurora & Melissa

The four kids all together. This is how my schedule will be this school year, Jadyn over at 7 a.m., Aurora, 7:30. Leave to take Keagan & Jadyn to school at 8:30ish, come back, take Melissa to school @ 9. And Aurora to school at 12:30. Then T/T I will teach preschool from noon to 2. I will then pick up the 3 younger ones at 3:05 and Ray will pick up Melissa on his way home from work a little after 4. So I have a little bit of free time in there....
I love this pic of Keagan! That is his true personality coming out!

Ahhh, the love.
Hugs & Kisses from his sis.
Now here comes the more realistic one, the smack after the hug, Keagan tries to pretend he doesn't like it, but he does!
Now off to school!!!

Keagan's first day

King of the Rock. Keagan's first day of school. I think that it is funny that he had new clothes and he picked those old jeans.... they must of been on the top of his drawer. Orange is his favorite color. He thinks his new vest is very cool. He is also sporting a new doo, he got his mohawk cut off last night.

Keagan & Jadyn walking into the school. He wasn't happy that we had to park Sooo far away. :)
Waiting in line for his teacher to let him in. She took forever. I think his class was the last class to go inside. He has Mrs. O'neal, Melissa had her, too. She is a great teacher. This is the first time that they have had the same teachers. Keagan is in 3rd grade now. School times changed to start at 8:45 and end at 3:05.

Melissa's first day of school

Melissa & Aurora (her cousin) by our newly landscaped corner
She is trying to act the teenage part and say she is not excited for school. Silly teenagers! She is getting ready to start 7th grade at the middle school. Like the new doo?! I think it looks like the 80s. My cousin told her it looked like Joan Jett. Miss said, "Who?!" I told her the person who sings, "I love Rock 'n Roll" She knew that song. I tried to pull up a pic on the computer of Joan Jett and found one of a couple of years ago when she shaved her head...... Melissa didn't like that one. :)
Not wanting her picture taken, on the way to school, waiting to be dropped off.
See, she really is happy and it only took me a few pics to get it! :)
Hopefully she has a great day at school. I don't know who was more nervous, miss or me?! Its hard to believe that my "baby" is a middle schooler. I am old! (No comments please on that one...) Can you believe school doesn't start until 9:25 and gets out at 3:55!