We have many christmas family traditions. We go see the christmas lights either at temple square or around town. This year we went to see them at willard bay they have a really fun stay in your car light display that you drive around and see. After the tree is decorated we save a few of the ornaments for a family home evening and talk about the symbols of christmas and how they relate to the birth of jesus. For example the candy cane makes "J" for Jesus and it is also a shepards staff. Also I wrap 12 gifts for the 12 days of christmas and place them on the paino> each gift has a scripture on them either about Jesus's life his miracles or gifts he has given us. The kids take turns picking one each night we read the scripture and talk about jesus ect. Then the kids get to open it. Some year it is christmas books or this year it was treats for the kids. I think of all of our tradition's this one is there favorite. We also make christmas trains every year out of candy bars and then watch a christmas movie. This one reminds me of my grandparents before my grandma died we did this with her and my aunt. This is a tradition I carry on from my childhood.

Caution! Caution ! Frisbee Golf can be dangerous to your health !

We have decided that the boys are accident prone like their dad. Last week mark and the boys decided to do one more round of Frisbee golf before the winter set in. Meg and I were playing a game of memory when my cell phone rang. Collin said mom you need to come quick bring the medical supplies dad is bleeding all over. When I get to the park mark is really bleeding on the bridge of his nose between his eyes. Apparently mark bent down to get his Frisbee, and as soon as mark stood up and turned around Parker's Frisbee hit him between the eyes point blank. Mark should have had stitches but we have learned a thing or two form visiting the ER. Super glue works great ! We glued shut his gaping wound. It took a long time for the bleeding to stop! The next day mark had two yellow purple eyes! He had so much fun telling everyone his son hit him!(not Really)

Frankenstein and his Bride !

What a cute couple. Alive and well from the undead. Mark's family has an adult family Halloween party every year! This year we decided to dress up as traditional Halloween spooks! We were very surprised to win the costume contest!

The Jack-o-lantern!

Parker lighting up Halloween night as a pumkin. Picture of all the kids ready to go out and fill up there buckets with candy from the truck or treat on Halloween night. Collin is growing up we couldn't get him to dress up and take his sisters and brother around the church. So he got stuck with candy duty! I did have to give him a bag of candy for his inconvience! (mostly so he would stay out of the others candy) Collin thinks treat or treating is no longer cool! Sad he is growing up!

The spooks are out!

Meg and sariah ready to go scare

everyone on Halloween Night!

Collin In the Local newspaper

We submitted some pictures of collin's eagle project by request of the local newspaper Box Elder New and Journal. Collin also submitted a thank you to the Editor that was published a few weeks ago. We asked them to thank all those who helped make it posssible for collin. We were very surprised too when they annouced it as collin's eagle project on the head line. We just wanted to thank all those who helped.

Playing on the finished Eagle project

Collin is finally finished with his eagle project it only took us 200 man hours to complete. That is worth three eagle projects mind you, but we knew it would be all or nothing in order for this eagle project to become a reallity. It was a great learning experiance for collin. More than anything I think he got over his fears of talking with adults in a phone conversasion and how to take charge and make a decision to get the job done. Collin likes to step back and be quiet and observe then make a decision. He had to step forward out of the side lines and be apart of the group to make his eagle project happen. Way to go collin! Here is a video of playing on the new pads plus a few pictures of the new pads at John Adams Park.

Meg's teddy bear picnic day

I try to take turns each week and have a date with each of the kids. Sometimes we do it indivudually and sometimes it is a couple of the kids together. I want each of my kids to have time with just me and/or mark and I both to feel that each one of them is important part of our family and we love they all as individuals. Meg needed something extra special this week . Just me and her. She was acting up so I felt she needed one on one attention with just me. I prayed about what I should do> I was promted to have a teddy bear picnic with her. She was in her ellement. She loved it. We had the "pooh" bears eat honey while we ate our cheese burgers . Then we play a bear game and read bear books. I think if you ask her it was a fun date with just mom. I even askd her if daddy could join us for our picnic she told him no just me mom and my bears. Apparently she did need time alone with just me.

THE SCOOP ON DIRT AND CONCRETE FOR COLLIN'S EAGLE PROJECT

We had long days on Friday Aug. 28th and Sat. Aug 29th for collins eagle Project. Friday collin & mark and a few various volunteers from troop 124, family, and friends moved some disc baskets and Friday night Jim keller volunteered his backhoe and time to dig out the holes for the cement pads and then fill then with rock. The volunteers then set the forms for the pads in the newly dug holes and spread out the rocks. Thanks goodness the city already had the water turned of due to a leak that happeded on thursday, because the backhoe broke a water line. I wish I had a picture of the backhoe digging but I didn't get one.

Saturday we had tons of volunteers to help wheel barrow cement to the holes, spread out the cement and finsih the cement. Then we fed everyone lunch. It was along day. Thanks to Troop 124, triumph youth services, many family and friends,and JACK PARSON CO. FOR THE DONATION OF THE CONCRETE, JIM KELLER HIS TIME, AND HIS BACKHOE. Without all of their help collin's eagle project would not have been a reality. Thanks!

We have to go back this week and put dirt around the new cement pads and clean up the dirt mounds left behind. Then collin will be done! We will post pics of his finished project when weha s completed his clean up.

COLLIN IS DOING HIS EAGLE PROJECT THIS WEEK

COLLIN WILL BE DOING HIS EAGLE PROJECT THIS WEEKEND WE INVITE ALL TO COME AND HELP SAT. AUGUST 29 AT 8:OO A.M. AT JOHN ADAMS PARK IN BRIGHAM. HE WILL BE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISC GOLF COURSE BY MOVING BASKETS FIXING VANADALISM AND PUTTING IN CEMENT PADS. I WILL POST THE AFTER PICTURES NEXT WEEK.

TIME OUT COUSINS NOT KISSING COUSINS

MEG AND COUSIN KATIE WERE FIGHTING AND HITIING AT FAMILY DINNER THE OTHER DAY. KATIE'S MOM TOLD HER TO GO TO THE CORNER FOR TIME OUT AND SENT HER TO THE CORNER BY THE FIREPLACE. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE STORY UNFOLDED THAT MEG WAS THE INSTIGATER AND STARTED THE FIGHT BY HITTING KATIE FIRST. I SENT MEG TO THE OPPOSITE CORNER BY THE FIREPLACE. NEXT ALL OF US ADULTS WERE LAUGHING AT HOW CUTE THEY LOOKED IN TIME OUT.

SUMMER FUN MADNESS

MARK HAD A DADDY DAUGHTER DATE AND TOOK THE GIRLS FISHING WITH SOME OF THE GIRL COUSINS AT A POND IN HONEYVILLE. SARIAH ,(COUSIN)KELSEY, MEG(IN ORANGE), MARK THEN (COUSIN) DESIREE, AND(COUSIN) KATIE. AS SOON AS THEY CAME HOME THEY COOKED IT AND ALL HAD A TASTE OF THEIR ONE AND ONLY CATCH OF THE DAY. THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST MARK AND COLLIN HEADED OF TO A HIGH ADVENTURE CANOEING SCOUT CAMP. COLLIN IN SITTING IN A CANOE AND MARK IS AT ONE OF THE OVERNIGHT CAMPS THEY STOPPED AT FOR THE DAY ON THE GREEN RIVER. THE HIGH LIGHT OF THEIR CAMP WAS BEING CAPZIED BY A GIANT TREE GROWING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER . SEVEN OUT OF TEN OF THE CANOES CASPZED AT THIS POINT CAUSING A CANOE JAM. THEY HAD TIME TO DO SOME REPELLING ON THE LAST DAY BEFORE THEY CAME HOME. MARK AND COLLIN CAME HOME WITH SUNBURNED FACES, ARMS, LEGS ,LIPS, EYES. POOR MARK CAME HOME WITH A VERY BADLY SUNBURNED LIP WHICH CAUSED CANKER SORES ALL OVER HIS LIP. THE BOYS IN HIS YOUNG MENS CALL HIM BUBBA SHRIMP. YOU KNOW THE BLACK MAN IN FOREST GUMP WHO SALES SHRIMP. WELL MARK'S BOTTOM LIP LOOK BIGGER THEN HIS. IT IS SO BAD A CAN'T EVEN KISS HIM.

GRANPA GRANGE

WE MISS GRANDPA GRANGE HE HAS MOVED TO ARKANSAS FOR HIS NEW JOB. WE ARE GLAD HE FOUND A JOB AFTER BEING OUT OF WORK FOR ALMOST A YEAR. SARIAH IS HERE WITH COUSIN IRELAND AND GRANPA GRANGE.

QUIRRH MOUNT TEMPLE

We went to the Quirrh Mountain Temple Open house in july 2009 with all the grandparents.( minus my dad Leon who was in Arkansas with his new job. ) The temple was very serene and beautiful. Sariah said she felt the spirt there as we all did. After the tour of this wonderous edifice we went on a picnic and school shopping for the kids. It was a great day of family togetherness. I hope my kids remmber the time they went into the temple as I did as a kid.

Thanks dad grange for taking the time when I was a kid to take us to the open houses. I felt the spirit then as kid as did sariah today. As an eight year old I wanted to make sure I had that feeling with me always and set a goal to get a temple marriage. I too hope my kids remember this day and the feelings the holy ghost put in their hearts and set a goal for an eternally family too.

Here are sariah and meg playing on the steps on the temple grounds.

parker and robotics club on collin's birthday at Lagoon

Last spring before school let out, parker got to Lagoon for robotics day On his older borther collin's birthday . He was hand picked from a lot of kids at his school to join the robtics club. He then designed a robot with a scaled down version from the the NASA lunar robot computer program to program a robot to go through a maze. His goal was to get his robot to go through the maze his robot did just that. We spent some time having fun on the rides. Then at lunch we surprised collin with a birthday party for his 14th birthday. He got a big box full of legos!

Molly the new member of our family

We have a new member of our family .She is our new puppy named Molly. SHe is a chuahua snouzer mix. After years of begging me to let the family get a dog I finally consented. It was not the kids begging mind you it was the dad mark. She has been fun,but ley me just say I don't like potty training kids, but Ithink potty training a puppy is worse it beats training a kid. I hope someday she will catch on in the mean time the kids just love her, oh I guess I do to when she is quietly sleeping on the floor not chewing anything.

Bok of mormon night with Grandparents

Grandma/pa Gibby had a fun family home evening night planned. They dressed us up in book of mormon times gave each of us a character from the book of mormon. We had to guess with clues who we were dressed up as.

The kids were: collin alma the younger, Parker captain moroni, Sariah was Abish, Meg was sariah Lehi's wife .

I was the queen of Lamoni , mark was Jacob. It was lot of fun. Thanks mom and dad for sharing your testimony of the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon.

Meg 4th birthday party January 31st

Meg had a great 4th birthday. She wanted an animal cake. So I made her a little pet shop cake. I think it turned out cute. Meg got some great loot. We got her a cool chalk board with chalk. She couln't wait to take the animals off the cake. I had to keep convincing her she had to wait until she blew out her candle on the cake then she could have it. When the animals were off the cake her cousin Desiree who is the same age as her wanted to play with the animals. Meg was so upset she got angry. Meg was thinking I had to wait two weeks to play wit these all be darned if I am going to share them or let anyone else play with them. So I cleaned them and put the little pet shop animals and meg in her room , shut the door and let her play with them all by herself for awhile while her party guest were still here. She came out about 15 min. later as happy as can be. She sure had a hard time wating to play with those little pet shop animals.

The Kids and Mark are reading a book on Christmas eve. The kids are wearing their matching pjs I made them for thier x-mas eve gift . If you look closely the kids pjs all have frogs of different colors on them. My kids yes including mark have a fish tank were they keep frogs and tadploes.

Collin and Koko

Collin's best friend other than his brother Parker is our cat named Koko. Last fall Koko claimed us. He showed up one day after our cat Yumyum disappeared. The kids prayed and prayed that yumyum our cat would come home. After a few weeks the neighbors asked us if Koko was our cat, because he just showed up in the neighborhood. Koko looks exactly like Yumyum except yum yum is a girl Koko is Boy. He kept hanging around Finally we call the animal control to see if he was someone elses cat. He was not. Koko has been a part of our family ever since. The kids decided that Yumyum was unable to so home so heavenly father sent Koko instead. I am grateful the lord answered the kids prayer and brought them a cat just like their old one. Their faith has increased because the lord saw fit to answer a prayer over a beloved cat.

Parker at christmas

January 14 2009

All parker wanted from santa was a "red light saber". He was one happy kid christmas morning.

meg n sariah teeth

January 9, 2009

Sariah 6, lost her two front teeth just before christmas. Needlless to say "all she wanted for christmas was her two front teeth."Last week she lost another tooth on the bottom left. She talks pretty funny since she has no teeth to talk. Meg, almost 4 in a few weeks, had to have her picture taken of course, but it turned out cute so I am glad I took one of the both of them together.

January 1 2009

We have just added a built in dishwasher to the kitchen. It didn't have one when we bought the house almost eight years ago. Here is mark's brother scott helping with the kitchen torn apart(left), and mark getting ready to put the dishwasher in the newly put back together cabinet. (right). It only took them three no four trips to the hardware store for parts. Then the used dishwashre had a leaky part . We bought the part on line and waited for almost a week with the kitchen torn apart trying to do dishes from the diswhwaser houses. We ruined our new laminate flooring from all the hose hook ups leaks from dishwasher. We will have to replace it when we do the new family room bathroom tile in a few years.