End of the Garden

Saturday felt good because we cleaned up the backyard and picked the fruit from our apple and pear trees and picked the rest of the garden. We have tomatoes coming out of our ears if anyone would like some!

Notice my fabulous pumpkins! They are the only thing that grew like crazy in the garden this year - and the only thing that I DIDN'T plant! Last year when we carved our pumpkins (CLICK HERE), we did it in the backyard and I threw all the pumpkins guts into the garden spot. It just happened that I didn't plant anything in that corner this year, and 6 baby pumpkins plants starting coming up at the beginning of the summer. They grew and grew and we ended up with pumpkins! What luck!

Youth Conference

Maddie and Dave went up to the Heber Valley Camp this weekend for our Stake's Youth Conference. Dave is in the YM Presidency and this was his first excursion with the youth. He came home very impressed with the youth in our ward and stake.

Every Youth Conference has a service project that you do and this was no exception. Our ward had a pile of heavy logs they had to move. It was a challenge but they got it done - and Dave's arms have MAJOR scrapes to prove it.

Dave said the speakers were spectacular. The main speaker was Brad Wilcox (who many of you may have heard before) and he did a great job. I wish I could have been there (to hear the talks - not to move the logs :)

I was so glad that Dave had this opportunity to go and be with Maddie. I've had so many chances to be with Maddie because it seems like I've been her leader at every age. I was Primary President during most of her primary years, then in the YW presidency and at girls camp for 2 of her years. This was a great time for Dave and Maddie to be together!

Fall Festival '08

It's that time of year again! The annual Fall Festival at the elementary school was a big hit this year! Dave and Maddie were gone for Youth Conference so it was just me and the kids. We had a great time!

Bronson found Blake and Ryan the minute we got there and they glued together until it was time to leave.

Talbie found some friends too so it was just me and Emmie. We did the face painting, pony rides, and many other fun things!

We found Jill (Blake and Ryan's little sister) and Emmie was happy!

I Love it When...

...Maddie uploads pictures on my computer and I can steal them for my blog!

I Love Fall

Fall is my favorite season! There's just something about the crispness in the air and the harvesting of all the fruit and veggies. We have tried to have a garden (somewhat) and we have an apple tree and a pear tree that give us a few bushels of fruit. One of our favorite things to grow are tomatoes. It's been Emmie's job every day to go pick the orange/red ones, wash them, and put them in the fridge (or give them to the neighbors because we have them running out our ears!) It's the highlight of her day!

Our Weekend

The weekend didn't start out too exciting for Maddie and Maddie. They took a cat nap on the couch around 5:00 but they were all energized for the football game that night!

Saturday Dave and Bronson headed to the BYU football game...

......while Talbie and Emmie went to their cousin, Charlie's 3rd birthday party. I bet you can't guess what the theme of the party was?Talbie, Emmie, Ben, and Charlie

A few weeks ago Maddie decided to make a new bag. We got material and a pattern and she was so excited to start! She got it all cut out and then it sat in my craft/sewing room! I can't stand to have unfinished projects laying around so I started sewing on it on Saturday night and by yesterday afternoon I had it finished - except for the giant button that closes it up. Then Maddie got excited about it again!

She sewed the button on and it turned out quite cute!

Treasure

Dave's mom stopped by yesterday to give Dave this book for his birthday. It's quite a treasure. The title of the book is "Flashes from the Eternal Semaphore". This book was presented to Dave's grandpa on October 17, 1929 as he was on his mission in Germany. It was given to him personally by President Heber J. Grant and it has typed note on his letterhead with his signature on it.

Dave and I love antique things - especially old books. When his mom gave this to him he was quite excited. It's a great treasure.

Fruits of our Labor

We had the best time last night for FHE. The Walkers (they work in the temple with Dave) invited us to their house/orchard to pick apples. What a treat! I wish I would have gotten a picture of us with the Walkers but I don't think that far ahead sometimes!

Brother and Sister Walker live in American Fork - just off of main street and have the most beautiful piece of land I've seen! They told us that they bought the land in the early 70's for $10,000.00 - that included their land (about 3-5 acres) and a house! Oh what I wouldn't give for a time machine!!

We picked about 2 bushels of Macintosh apples for applesauce and then we picked a couple of bag fulls of Red Delicious apples to eat and make pie with.

The garden - look at those tomatoes!

The Orchard!

We worked all afternoon making applesauce from our apples. This was the first time I'd made applesauce and I had no idea it was so involved and how many apples it takes to make a quart of applesauce! It's yummy though!!

Daddy's Birthday

Dave's 39th birthday is on Tuesday so we had all the family over for a huge BBQ yesterday. We usually just have everyone over for cake and ice cream on birthdays because our family is getting so huge, but Dave wanted to put on the whole spread. He knew that meant doing most of the work himself because he is the master BBQ'er. It was the best day and we had a TON of good food!

Dave at the grill. We borrowed Brittany and Jared's grill too so he had 2 going at the same time. There was enough meat to fee 100 people (but we only had 40!)

Emmie enjoying her food!

Dave and I (thanks Lissy for taking the picture. She noticed that I never post pictures of myself on the blog!)

At the party, Logan let his butterflies free that had just come out of their cocoons.

The boys trying to get Steven to play football with them

Dave admiring the stick? Emmie gave him for his birthday!

Dave and his real presents! He made a haul

Dave and his mommy!

Most of the party was spent torturing Maddie. This my my dad and my brother, Dustin - trying to get Maddie's picture so Dustin could distort it on his iphone!

The video below is Uncle Kevin torturing Maddie! It's a classic!! I told Maddie she could thank her dad for this because he tortured Megan (Kevin's daughter) mercilessly when she was young. It was pay back time!

Abi and Zack

Maddie and Abi (Maddie was riding my dad's Vespa - hence the helmet!)

One Brave Girl!

Today was "Super Hero Dress Up Day" at Talbie's school. She insisted that she (and everyone else) was dressing up. Again - Maddie and Talbie are polar opposites and Maddie would have MAYBE worn a small Superman ring on her finger - or something very inconspicuous. Not Talbie! She insisted that I get the costumes out of the shed and she got Maddie's old Wonder Woman costume that she wore for Halloween in the 8th grade. Maddie does dress up - only on Halloween!


Anyway - I told her to call me if she decided she didn't want to be dressed up when she got to school but it's 10:00 and she hasn't called.

I had a small flashback of my experience on Halloween during my 7th grade year. My friends all insisted that they were dressing up for Halloween so I decided to do the same. My mom talked me into wearing this clown costume she had made - AND - she helped me paint my face so I was completely decked out!

Well, I got to school and of course, NO ONE was dressed up. My friends thought they were dressed up but one was a baby and she was carrying a pacifier around and the other was dressed as a football player - and she had on a jersey.

I was horrified! I tried and tried to call my mom but she wasn't home all day. My mom didn't work and she was ALWAYS home. I even tried my dad at work but couldn't reach him either. This was in the day and age before cell phones. I would have killed for a cell phone back then.

The very worst part about the whole thing was that right after school, there was a dance for the entire Jr. High. I couldn't go home on the bus until after the dance so I had to attend the dance in my full clown costume!

It's one of those stories you think about as an adult and think, "I can use this when something like this happens to one of my kids." Well, I tell my kids this story and they just think I'm a dork!

9/11 Anniversary - Bronson's Class

Today was the anniversary of 9/11. We all remember that day like it was yesterday and the images we saw on the TV, will be embedded in our minds forever.

Bronson's 4th grade teacher was involved in a fund raiser after the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings and with her father's business, they raised money for the Firemen of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9. This fire station lost 15 of their 30 men who served them. She was able to go just a few weeks after 9/11 to present the money to the firemen and see the destruction, first hand.

The Orem Geneva Times ran an article today on Miss Lisonbee and Bronson's class. It can be found HERE - if you'd like to read more about what she did and what his class is learning about this week.

"Accused"

"Talbie" is a very unusual name and most of you know the story behind her name. When you "google" her name there is alot about Talbie, Israel (a city in Israel) and we found out a few years ago that her name is Hebrew and means "Dew from Heaven" - which she is! The funny thing is that ever since she was born, we have called her Talbie Dew (even before we knew what her name meant!)

Anyway - I'm getting to my point, just give me a minute...

Tonight she decided to "google" her name but this time she typed "Talbie M Knowles" and a poem that she wrote in the 2nd grade came up. We submitted this poem when she wrote it and it was published in a book that we have. It was quite an accomplishment for a 2nd grader and she's loved writing poetry ever since. If you'd like to read her poem, CLICK HERE!

What are "Wee" Going to do?

Well - it happened AGAIN today. I got a call at 1:00 from Emmie's teacher and she had had another accident. Oh boy! I met her in the office with some dry clothes. This time, her face was pretty red and she'd been crying :(

We got her all changed and then I asked her, "Didn't you go to the bathroom after lunch?" She said she had tried but didn't know where the bathrooms were! I walked her over by the cafeteria and showed her that they were just across the hall. Then I told her that even if she forgets to go at lunch, to tell the teacher and she'd let her go anytime she needed to. That seemed to make her feel better. I walked her to library where her class was and she went in to check out a new reading book.

I hope this is the last time this happens. So sad!

Each of my kids have been so different with 1st grade (or a little older)...

Maddie would call me if no one would play with her at recess (the opposite of her problems now!)
Talbie called me all the time with headaches (which she still suffers from but has learned to live through them.)
Bronson called (and still tries to) with a stomach ache.
...and now Emmie and her weak bladder problem.

What I'm Doing Today...

Hope your day is more exciting!

A "Wee" Bit of a Problem

Today at 2:00 I got a call from Emmie at the school. This was our conversation...

Me: "Hello?"
Emmie: "Mom?"
Me: "Yeah..."
Emmie: "Mom, I accidentally wet my pants during my spelling test. Can you bring me some new clothes?"

OK - I'm the mother of 3 girls and after she said this I was waiting for the tears and hysteria but they didn't come! I told her to wait for me in the office and I'd be right there. When I got to the school, she was waiting for me with her best friend, Jill. They were having a great time together. It didn't seem to bother either of them!

I got them both and we walked back to their 1st grade class room and her teacher told me that she was giving them instructions about taking spelling tests - that they can't talk, or leave the room for anything. This is when I think Emmie decided that she needed to go to the bathroom but couldn't hold it. I have noticed this about her lately that when she has to go REALLY BAD - she can't hold it in. I guess I'll have to teach her the "keggle" exercise.

The good news...she got a 100% on the spelling test - the first one she's ever taken!

Missionaries

Last night we had the opportunity to feed the missionaries who are serving in our area. It was such a treat! We have done this before but it's been a few years ago. It's so fun for the kids to have this opportunity to talk to the missionaries and experience the wonderful spirit that comes with having missionaries in your home. These 2 missionaries were both from Brazil! They are Elder Del Silva and Elder Diz Diz. Also pictured is Jonathan Hale - a priest in our ward, who we love! He picked the missionaries up and went to teach a lesson with them after dinner.

Happy Labor Day

There's nothing better than a bunch of helpers cleaning the house :) It makes a mom happy! Happy Labor Day!!







We did have some fun after the cleaning. And yes - I did do some cleaning - but I mostly supervised!