J+J

Phone rings
Jed: Hey you wan-
Joshlyn: YES!
Jed: I was going to say-
Joshlyn:  YES! whatever, yes!  Let's get the hell out of here!

So we ended up at the UNLV vs. Omaha game.  We had awesome seats, eight rows up, and even though UNLV is stinkin' it up this year it was an exciting game.  And thank goodness it was a basketball game and not something terrible.  I could have agreed to anything in my moment of crazed weakness.  Giant ball of yarn untying...sure.  

With the exception of musicals, monster trucks, and paint ball crap, all of which I do not care for but Jed does, we really do have similar "likes."  Probably because Jed is extremely agreeable.  And probably because sometimes I'm just glad to escape. 

Jed's Pet

I used to be his pet

I've been replaced.  

By that black-furred vixen you see in the above picture.  

And she's taking over Jack too!  

Ungrateful cat.

Who needs a dog?

Elise The Party Animal

If there is one picture I could make my favorite for 2013.  I'm thinking it might be this one...

Takin' a Hike

Well it's no mystery that Jed is a busy guy and I am cagey and can only stay in the house for so long, which yes, has led to a few unwise choices, (i.e. three kids in Old Navy) but this specific Saturday I packed up the kids, Ashley and her girls AND my mom to head into the wild "red" yonder.  Specifically Red Rock.  I love to turn the children loose in the sand.  Many hours of entertainment are to be had.  Elise was obsessed with all of the holy rocks and wanted to sit in the big "ho's" and the older kids thought they were mountain goats.  They are definitely not afraid of heights.  I may have passed on my fear of flying creatures to them but they also inherited my lack of "fear of heights" gene.  

All the happy little hikers.   

See...money cannot buy such happiness as dirt and rocks can provide. 

Drawing pictures in the sand.  Jack spelled "MOM" ahhh

and

Jara made a kitty cat.  I love her kitties, big ears and long tails, that's how we like em.

Me and my sister, who I coerced into making this trip and past trips as well.  She is kind to go along with my madness.  I enjoy her presence.  It's always more fun (not to be confused with funner Ashley) when she comes too!  I wish I had a picture of us with my mom too, however, she is elusive and hides well from the camera.

We had lunch, hiked, rolled in the sand and then went home and cleaned red sand out of cracks and the bathtub for a week.  Happy trails!

Veteran's Day

We are all enlisted till the conflict is o'er;

Happy are we!  Happy are we!

Soldiers in the army, 

    There's a bright crown (rock truck) in store;

.

We shall win and wear it by and by.

On a more serious note, I am extremely grateful to those men and women who serve our country.  I was very touched and humbled by the veteran's I happened to find myself in the midst of.  The flag in our pictures was attached to the chair of a brave man who had visibly sacrificed all for his country and I realized I need to thank my Heavenly Father every day for men like that who selflessly protect my way of life and freedoms.  I am ashamed that I was too scared of offending or patronizing him to say anything, but I am indeed grateful for so great a sacrifice and will try harder to appropriately acknowledge him and others like him in the future.  

Another Party Post

Jack's party we kept simple: cake, pinata, family.  The ninja turtle 4 foot pinata was a success, even if he was a "little cold" if you know what I mean.  

Jack showing" those monkeys the business."   Lest you think I would actually use that line, let me explain... Jack got a talking Raphael for his birthday and that's one of his best sayings.  He uses it a lot and now so does Jack.  I apologize in advance if your kid comes home saying "lets show those monkeys the business" blame it on the ninja turtle.

Why does it scare me when my precious little daughters derive so much delight in maiming poor Raph with a bat?

A little fuzzy, but here's the wish making moment, complete with a ninja turtle leg full of candy.  

Happy Everything

The party of all parties.  The second weekend in October we celebrated Jed's, parents mission, fare-thee-well.  Kathy threw the Happy Everything party.  It was spectacular! 

The big cousins, the two sets of twins and baby girls are missing.  Ya that's a lot of kids/fun/cousins/noise.

We played .  

Jed being good at something competitive. 

Joshlyn being good at something non-competitive. 

We ate.  Oh how we ate.  Blessed, blessed food.  So much lovely food. 

The missionaries.  South Africa.  Holy smokes!

We laughed.  Of course it was all missionary approved and no one used any form of Cousin Eddie lines or innuendos or blatant inappropriateness.  

We tortured the children.  

Try getting 15 kids under the age of 12 to hold still with cards for a group picture.  

The happy family.  And I must say Kathy, I think we look even better than the Romney's.

We will miss you!  Thank you for the wonderful weekend P+K!