Lots of crazy questions....

I never do these things but thought I'd pick the longest one that I've ever seen to get started. Here's a glimpse into me.....

1. Started your own blog -started yes--update regularly, no
2. Slept under the stars -Don't remember but probably in Emerickville or girls camp
3. Played in a band -More of an orchestra person until the music got hard, then I pretended to play until my parents let me quit
4. Visited Hawaii -twenty year anniversary honey? (you've got time to surprise me.)
5. Watched a meteor shower - yes, but not lately
6. Given more than you can afford to charity -don't know about this question...charities of choice are Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Toys for Tots
7. Been to Disneyland -we prefer Disney World...over and over and over.....
8. Climbed a mountain -does in a car count?
9. Held a praying mantis -eeewww. I don't do bugs.
11. Bungee jumped -never have, never will
12. Visited Paris -if I could get there without flying over an ocean I'd like to but that much water scares me.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea -not a huge storm but heat lightening
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch- um, I've learned to sew a bit but I'm not great
15. Adopted a child -No but Mitchell thinks we should adopt a boy or two to even out our family
16. Had food poisoning -peanut butter pie from American Hotel Restaurant. Yikes!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty -Nope but I've seen her up close
18. Grown your own vegetables -tomatoes this year...next year hard core!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France -back to that flying over the ocean thing...
20. Slept on an overnight train -why would anyone want to do that?
21. Had a pillow fight -not lately...Mitchell doesn't need to learn this one.
22. Hitch hiked -again...why would anyone do that?
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- I prefer to call those "mental health days"...I miss the days when that was an option
24. Built a snow fort -repeated attempts were made to build the perfect "Puppy Palace" as a kid
25. Held a lamb -nope
26. Gone skinny dipping -hmmmm....no
27. Run a Marathon -Marine Corp Marathon: Oct 2007. (5:05 not speedy but complete)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice -still no to anything European
29. Seen a total eclipse - during choir in high school we all went outside to see an eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - Both...sunset over the ocean is the best
31. Hit a home run -never was a power hitter.
32. Been on a cruise -thought I'd hate it but it was so awesome!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - yup...took all four kids on the Maid of the Mist
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -only if Brookville counts
35. Seen an Amish community -Um...yeah. They are around every corner in PA.
36. Taught yourself a new language -took Spanish but didn't do it on my own
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied -not yet
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person -nope
39. Gone rock climbing -Not with the ropes and all that but played on large rocks with the kids
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David - nope
41. Sung karaoke -NEVER
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt -nope
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant -not yet
44. Visited Africa -nope...maybe I can visit friends in Nigeria...probably not
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight -love the waves crashing on our feet at night!
46. Been transported in an ambulance -nope
47. Had your portrait painted -no but I've been tempted to have the kids caricature done at a park sometime
48. Gone deep sea fishing -don't like fish much so why go fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person -nope
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris -What's with all the Paris questions?
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling -unbelievable as it is...I went snorkeling in Tortola and ran into a barracuda...he was huge!
52. Kissed in the rain -Probably
53. Played in the mud -not lately but I remember my boot getting stuck in the mud as I ran to the bus in junior high. my next step was my foot straight into the thick mud. Fun for all watching from the bus!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater -Love the Moonlight Drive-in in Brookville
55. Been in a movie -i don't think but Aunt Rita and I almost got hit by a stunt car when they were filming a movie in Pittsburgh one day. (Was it Inspector Gadget?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China -sounds fun but no
57. Started a business -nope but I helped my dad in his archery shop and I can fletch arrows
58. Taken a martial arts class -Nope but I should!
59. Visited Russia -Not really a desire of mine
60. Served at a soup kitchen -No but I should go with Aunt Sis sometime
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies -Tons...and I don't ever want to do it again
62. Gone whale watching -No but we watch for dolphins when we visit Ocean City
63. Got flowers for no reason -Matt brought me roses for no reason just a few months ago
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma -platelets yesterday...Red Cross calls me almost daily!
65. Gone sky diving -I'll pass
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp -no, but I really want to go to the Holocaust Museum in D.C. sometime. Anyone want to join me?
67. Bounced a check -it was a mistake a really long time ago.
68. Flown in a helicopter -nope
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy -yep
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial -I think every year when we went on youth temple trips
71. Eaten Caviar -nope but Clark convinced me to eat escargot
72. Pieced a quilt- I started a rag quilt eons ago but it's in my unfinished craft box
73. Stood in Times Square- No but I want to
74. Toured the Everglades -as many times as we've been to FL I should say yes but NO (Matt rode on a hoverboat and held an alligator.)
75. Been fired from a job -Mitchell fires me daily!
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London -nope...Europe
77. Broken a bone -I don't think toes should count so no.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle -yes...tipped off one in the gravel driveway once too.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person -never been that far west.
80. Published a book -never thought of it
81. Visited the Vatican -nope
82. Bought a brand new car -someday.
83. Walked in Jerusalem -nope
84. Had your picture in the newspaper -I'm sure for something in school
85. Read the entire Bible -not in order.
86. Visited the White House -took a tour once (Mitchell got scolded by a security guard for sitting in one of the fancy antique chairs) and we love the easter egg roll
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating -eeewww...
88. Had chickenpox -not fun!
89. Saved someone’s life -not recently...but I've taken CPR class so I know how
90. Sat on a jury -got called for duty last year but wasn't needed
91. Met someone famous - Ed Mulitalo and Jim Dasinger are both famous where I come from.
92. Joined a book club - tried that once but it didn't work out...I never read the book
93. Lost a loved one -yes
94. Had a baby -4 little monkeys at my house!
95. Seen the Alamo in person -nope
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake -my 4day whirlwind trip to UT didn't allow time for this adventure.
97. Been involved in a law suit -Matt is part of a class-action suit against Walmart right now.
98. Owned a cell phone -definitely!
99. Been stung by a bee - it's been a long time thank goodness. (I wouldn't say that for fear of bad luck if they weren't dormant right now.)

Yin and Yang

As usual, there were some very strong feelings about the start of school in August. Kassie and Mitchell would have been happy to never set foot in a school again. On the opposite side of the coin were the little girls: Alexis was anxious to see her friends again and Anna was over-the-top excited to start preschool. For some unexplainable reason, I didn't get any good pictures of the first day of BCPS (not that any of them really cared) but here are some of the highlights from the first week of preschool--which didn't start until mid-September. She loves her two mornings each week with Mrs. Montanya and Mrs. Chase. I think Kate is the only little girl that she plays with still but the year is young so I'm hoping she will spread her wings and get to know some of the other kids as well. (Although we definitely LOVE Kate.)

Pool Fools

The kids spent a few weeks in swimming lessons over the summer. They would have loved to spend the entire summer in the pool but being the mean mom that I am, that didn't work out for them so they had to settle for an hour every morning for two weeks and occasional afternoon.

I'm pretty sure that I don't have the next Michael Phelps but they all learned quite a bit and had a lot of fun so it was all worth being at the pool in Westminster by 8:45am every day.

Fun with cousins

June was just packed with fun! As soon as we returned from NY and the accompanying reception in PA, Katie and Mark arrived in PA for a visit with the UT cousins. We got to see them a few times and had a great picnic with the whole family at Pinchot Park near Nana and Pappy's house.The kids pitched rocks into the lake; Jason, Matt and Mark took each of the kids out in the canoe; and the ladies did their best to keep the kids from plunging into the lake on their own. Unfortunately, Nana was bound to her wheelchair while her leg was recouping from surgery but I think we all had a good time all the same.

Love and Marriage...and Grouches

Steven and Mickie were married in the Palmyra Temple in June. Welcome to the family Mickie! It's late, I know. But I love you just the same. Here are some shots I took on their wedding day. The day was beautiful and everyone was so happy for them and to be part of their day...





Well...not everyone was thrilled about the plans for the day...



Some time into the pictures, it became quite clear...the pictures would be much less stressful if the little kids (grouches) were "out of the picture" so Matt and I took our little three and Maggie elsewhere. They enjoyed the playground immensely! (My new challenge became preventing them from trashing the adorable clothes that Aunt Mickie had given them.)

Niagra Falls

On the way to Palmyra this summer for Steven and Mickie's wedding, we took a slight detour and spent some time at Niagra Falls. We left our house around 4:00am and the only extended break was for a picnic lunch at a rest stop in NY.
I thought this would be a frightening experience for the younger girls and wasn't sure that the older kids would really appreciate the greatness of the falls but I was wrong on both accounts. At one point, I had Alexis and Anna begging me to ride the Maid of the Mist. In the words of Junie B. Jones, "I've always wanted to ride that thing!" so we braced ourselves and paid the admission for the whole family. I am so glad that we did because they all loved it! Anna begged to ride it again but I wasn't willing to make that investment--once is enough for one summer.

Yeah...I know I'm old...

...As was lovingly pointed out to me by my friend Krysta on the day that Kassie took the stand in sacrament meeting to receive her certificate of completion for Primary. In July, my little girl turned twelve. As usual over the summer, she placed several calls to girlfriends but nobody was available to hang out with her on her birthday so we did our own thing: an on-line shopping spree at the Limited Too and her favorite dinner with cake and ice cream for dessert.
Kassie's preferences have definitely begun to mature over the past two years. Last year for her birthday I gave her two choices of a birthday gift. I can't remember the first choice but she opted to receive three tickets to High School Musical On Ice...in November. This year, we again gave her choices and her decision was...race registration for a Mother/Daughter team in the Inaugural Expedition Everest Challenge at the Animal Kingdom in late-September. Immediate gratification is not in her vocabulary obviously. Here are a few of the shots taken by the photographers on course at our race. We finished the entire 5K, obstacle course and scavenger hunt in 1:16:50. We also scored a really cool medal and a glow-in-the-dark shirt! Way to go Kassie! I hope the birthday gift was worth the wait! I love you!

Dear Katie

Okay so I know multiple Katies (and find mysteries quite fun)...but one of you left me a message some time ago asking me to email you so you could get my email address. The problem is that I'm not sure which of you it was. How about you leave me a message naming one of your children so I can figure out who to email. : )

Eight

Mitchell then....
Born a little man at 6lbs 12 oz, Mitchell turned eight in June.


Two weeks.


First birthday--included to show his beloved blankie. Oh how he loved that thing....to shreds!

Now....




Now finishing second grade, his birthday landed on a school day so his friend Mason came home from school with him. We spent the evening playing putt-putt before going to Kassie's softball game and then coming home to open presents. I think he liked the cake his dad made for him. (Well he liked the way it looked even if he wasn't crazy about the marshmallow fondant.)



A week after his birthday, Mitchell was baptized in Brookville so that more family could be together for his special day.

Springtime fun at Baugher's

Laura and I took the kids to Baugher's to pick strawberries. I think most of them ate more than they contributed to the boxes! (Anna's friend AJ joined us for the trip.)