Ward Campout

Last night was our ward campout. It was at Stephen F. Austin Campground. It took about 40 minutes to get there and it was a nice place. The weather was perfect for camping. We were completely comfortable (temperature wise) in our sleeping bags. The kids loved it! Trent and I had a good time.

I think the reason kid's love camping is because the don't do all the work to get ready and they just come home and resume normal life. Meanwhile, I am going to be doing laundry for days!!!!

We saw deer as we entered the park and then about 10:00 p.m. we saw racoons. These were bold racoons. We were all sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows and one guy came within 5 feet of us. Trent, (being the brave father of the group) brazenly took two marshmallow skewers and clicked them together (think parent trap) trying to chase the racoon away. It gave all the kid's a good laugh and I am pretty sure we could hear the raccon chuckling in the tree above us.

The kids were in bed at 11:00 and up at 7:00. And I think maybe we slept a little in between. All the kids crashed on the way home (except Catherine) and Madelyn fell asleep tonight at 6:30. Julianne and Catherine are watching TV . . . but they are being very, very quiet (unusual for them) and I won't be surprised if they are asleep in there. . .

The Master Bedroom

Well, here are some pictures of the master bedroom. I just bought that picture above the bed from my friend DeAnn (some of you may recognize it). It used to be in her dining room. I think it looks great with the comforter and everything. What do you think?
The next picture is of the sitting room in the master bedroom. The chairs face an armoir with a TV in it. The last picture is taken standing in the sitting room looking into the bedroom.

Save me from the girls!!!!!

He's not quite 7 months old, and the girls are dressing him up already!

Ways to drive your husband wild

Just say at 9:00 p.m. on a Friday night, "I thought we could hang up the mirror in the hallway and the map in the office tonight?"
So we started with the mirror. We opened all the packaging and find out the the hardware needed to hang the mirror is not included with it. No problem because I have bought several "heavy art" hanging kits. These kits include heavy duty wire and screws and anchors and more! But the mirror explicitly states that it should not be hung by wires but that it should be hung onto anchored screws with the d-rings already mounted on the back. No problem because I have bought many styles of anchors - plastic ones, molly bolts and toggle bolts. But which to use??? So we pull out the scale and weigh ourselves and then weigh ourselves holding the mirror (scary huh?) The mirror weighs 35 pounds. So we decide to go with the plastic anchors (that claim they can handle up to 50 pounds). We measure and measure and measure and measure because this is a one time thing -- And then in go the the plastic anchors and one takes . . . and one does not bite into the sheetrock. Hmmmmmm . . .
Well on second thought maybe we did want it 1 inch higher. So now we start again with the molly bolts. These are more heavy duty than the plastic anchors and we get them both in and we hang the mirror, but . . . the head of the screw is just not very big and although the D-ring is setting on it . . . it just doesn't seem like it would take too much for the d-ring to be knocked off the screw head. Hmmmmmm. . .
So Trent says, let's just unscrew the screw and add a washer, so that it creates a lip that the d-ring just cannot slip over. So we do one and then while doing the other the molly bolt strips and the screw won't come out or go back in for that matter (so much for heavy duty right?) and now the molly bolt is stuck in the wall. And for those of you who may not know, you do not pull out a molly bolt that has been expanded because it will leave a seriously big hole in your wall and may even crack the sheetrock if . . .say you use the back of a hammer to pull it out . . . which is what i did upstairs while hanging something else and Trent is still patching it. So we got the hacksaw and sawed the head of the screw off and pushed the molly bolt into the wall (may it rest in peace). And now it is midnight and there are four holes in the wall and no mirror! So I start looking online and found this cool site Kevin Kelly Cool Tools and he describes these anchors and we decide we better call it a night on the mirror and move onto the map. Ten minutes later the map (with wires and nails and a studfinder) is hung (although it is an inch offcenter of the piano). So we move the piano an inch and it is now perfectly centered. And it is 1:30 a.m. and we are done! Hooray! (well done until tomorrow).
I went to home depot, bought cool new toggle bolt screws and hooks to go on the screws so the mirror can hang a little lower and 10 minutes later the mirror was hung. See, honey? wasn't that easy? and don't they look awesome???

A Tale of Two Ovens

I absolutely love having two ovens. The top oven is a convection oven and it is so cool. It has a temperature probe that plugs into it and I can see what the temperature is of whatever I am cooking. I can think of endless ways that this will make my life easier. . . for example.

Now that our church meets at 2:00 until 5:00. I can make sure dinner is completely ready when we come home. Three weeks ago I put a lasagna in the top oven and garlic bread in the bottom oven. I was sitting in church during Sacrament meeting thinking about how good dinner was going to be when I realized that I forgot to turn on either oven!

Yesterday, I did a little better. I put a whole chicken to roast (with the temperature probe) in the top oven and rolls in the bottom oven. And this time I realized I forgot to turn the oven on while driving to church! I dropped Trent and the girls off and raced back home (with Adam asleep in the car). I quickly set the oven temp and the probe temp (that way when the meat is done it shuts off the oven so you don't overcook it). I set the lower oven to come on at 5:00 so the rolls would just be finishing when we arrived home and then raced back to church. I was sort surprised when we got home that I could only smell the rolls, not the chicken, but then I looked a little closer and found that I had set the oven temperature for 177 and the probe temperature for 350. It is a little hard to cook a whole chicken to 350 degrees when the oven is only 177 degrees. I quickly changed the oven to 350 degrees and the probe to 177 and just 45 minutes later it was done!

Ovens are just like computers. Only as smart as the user!

Madelyn's room

Madelyn's room is decorated! By decorated, I mean everything that I currently have to put up in her room (shelves, pictures, etc. . .) is put up. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't do more, just that the things I have are done!

Zoo Field Trip

We went to the zoo on Wednesday, April 11. I went as a chaperone for Julianne's first grade class. The school was very clear that chaperone's could have no other children with them so that their attention would be focused on the school kids. My other kids wanted to go to the zoo also . . . so Granny and Baba (who is in town for the week) to the rescue. They met me at the zoo before the busses from the school arrived and took the 3 little kids and headed out for their adventure.

My group consisted of Julianne, Dalia and her mother, and Daniella. It was very easy to keep up with 3 kids (especially since one was mine and one had her mother). We crossed paths with Granny, Baba, and the 3 little kids several times. It was a beautiful day.

As a side note, when I arrived at the zoo (after a crazy morning at home, trying to get everyone ready, pack all the lunches, and leave on time) my mom was not there. I called her to see where she was and she had not yet left because she thought I was bringing the kids to her house. So I decided it would be quickest to get all my kids through the entrance gate and then leave the zoo getting our hand stamped so we could re-enter. That way when my mom got there we did not have to wait in line, the kids could just go through the re-entry gate. When I picked Adam up, I about died, he had a major blow-out diaper and I did not have any extra clothes for him. (probably only the first time I have not had a change of clothes with me). I got him cleaned up and then took the kids in the zoo (yes, Adam was only wearing a diaper) and then raced into the gift shop and bought Adam a new Houston Zoo outfit! I had just come out of the gift shop when my Mom arrived. She and Baba quickly came in the zoo and helped me dress Adam. They headed to look for the animals just as the busses from the school pulled up. Thank goodness the busses were late!

Swing!

We went to a park out here in Katy (Mary Jo Peckham Park) that was really nice. There is putt-putt golf and an indoor pool and a lot of play equipment. The swings were the hit for Catherine, Madelyn and Adam. Catherine is at my favorite swinging phase. (She loves to pump all by

herself!!!!)

Crazy Carnival

Julianne's new school had a fund raising carnival-- so I took the 4 kids by myself (now that's an adventure!) The 2 big girls were most excited about getting their hair sprayed pink. Madelyn was most excited about the lollipop pull (because she got a sucker) and I was most excited that we made it out of there spending only 5 dollars!!!!

Waiting

Today, we signed our kids up for Swim Team. This may not sound remarkable, but here in our neighborhood the swim team is a hot commodity. So hot, that they limit enrollment. So today, Trent, dutifully spent 3 hours waiting in line so we could get on. They let those on the team last year have the first spots. Their registration was at 2:30 p.m. Those who are new get to register for whatever is left at 4:30 p.m. The thing is -- after the returning swimmers register, there are often only 1 or 2 spots remaining. Trent went and got in line a little after 1:00. He was the second in line. And we did it, we got on. We got 2 kids on in fact! Yeah!!! He said it was pretty long just sitting there and that he was the only dad waiting in line. . . the rest were all Moms.