The Minnick Family

Cousins at the Beach

2010-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Clay and Jarret worked hard making this village of castles. Jarret was the designer and creator. Clay was more of the digger and personal motivator. He kept yelling, "Come on we can do this!" "Ours is the best!" "We're going to win!" Jarret just kept plugging away even though little kids were tromping it down trying to help them. Jarret spent more than an hour on it. He, they, ended up winning the sand castle building contest. Clay was sure glad his cousin came to visit and play with him.

Lake Natomas

2010-07-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Clay's Amazing Bed

2010-07-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

He took all of the cushions to make his incredible bed/chair. Unfortunately that left no where for us to sit. But at least he was comfortable.

El Dorado County Fair

2010-07-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Getting lost in the hay maze. Sort of.

These guys were too cute not to take a picture.

A pile of goats. How fun!

Clay was brave enough to drive the car by himself. He crashed a few times but that didn't stop him.

More LookAtMe LookAtMes

2010-07-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Doggy Pool

2010-07-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

We picked up a cow trough for the dogs to cool off in for the hot days. We were hoping Jake wouldn't wander off to the neighbors pond if we had a pool for him. No such luck however.

Clay on the other hand loves it!

Paradise..In the 60s

2010-07-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the highlights of the cabin we bought and also why we aren't ready to invite friends up just yet.

The cabinets take some getting used to. The shake roof above the cabinets is cabiny, sort of. The moose and the trees might be cabiny but they have to go.

The toilet was stamped 1940. That makes it 70 years old, The cabin was built in the 60s so that means the toilet was already 20+ years old when it was taken out of one old place and put into this one. They really don't make them like they used to. So we took it out, cleaned it up and put it right back in the bathroom.

The cabinets in the bathroom were child sized. They would have been awesome in a playhouse. When they came out they fell apart not because they were poorly made but because they were really well attached to the wall behind.

Here's the swanky homemade lamp giving the only light in the main room. Not sure they ever made them like that before. Maybe it was high school shop project.

Gold drapes, blue rockers and red carpeting.

Do you like how the wood stove is right in the middle of the room? There are plastic bags melted to the stove pipe from all the oopses and getting to close to it. I wonder how many people have been burned by this thing.

Blues and green bricks on the fireplace...nice.

The best is the the red, maroon and orange extra long and fuzzy shag carpeting. This picture just doesn't do it justice here. It was in great condition. There was even a brand new roll of it up in the attic but I couldn't get anyone to let me keep it. We probably could have made some extra cash off it for original 60s carpeting.

Cabin Snow

2010-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

There was snow at the cabin all the way into the middle of June this year.

Clay made a snow fort.

And the kids made real snow cones.

Doesn't that look refreshing? That's not chocolate!

First Trip to the Cabin

2010-07-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here we go everyone!

Our first day trip to the cabin.

Emmie and Grandma trying to get it all cleaned out so we can stay in it and not be grossed out.

Cool! Look what we found in one of the closets! And we all got bulls eyes!

Last Day of School 2010

2010-07-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is Clay's kindergarten teacher Miss Trulock.

This is Emmie's first grade teacher Mrs. Bolster.

Clay and the kindergartners getting a good by squeeze from Miss Trulock.

Chloe giving Emmie a big hug goodbye. It's going to be such a long long summer without you all.

Fondue

2010-07-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Keri and I were able to break away from all of the kids and husbands to take a fondue class at the Melting Pot. It was delicious and educational. We made these chocolate fondues and they were delightful! If the pots weren't so hot we would have licked them clean.

Catapult

2010-07-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

We try to go to Lowes as often as we can for their kid building projects. The kids are collecting the patches on their aprons.
Emmie actually smashed mom's finger this time.

Hey Mom Look at Me!

2010-07-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here are all the must have playground photos.
"Watch this!" "Look at me!" "See what I can do!"

Bike Ride

2010-07-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

We discovered a nice bike riding trail by Natomas Lake. We made it all the way across the new bridge in Folsom. And that was with breaks every couple of minutes to check out the water and throw rocks.

Daffodil Hill

2010-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

With the mild weather the daffodils were sure pretty this year. Brrr! It was cold though.

The Dentist

2010-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

The kids had a good visit to the dentist. Emmie only has a couple of loose teeth left and Clay doesn't have any loose ones yet.

Smile

2010-07-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have something for you mom! Cheese!

My Blog Update

2010-07-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

Once again I let 4 months go by without updating the blog. That might just be the way I have to do it from now on. I'll just have to do it all at once. I want to keep up on the family blog as I use it journaling. I think there are a few more completely out of order posts still to come. If Blogger changed one thing I'd like for it to have adjustable dating and ordering so Easter won't come after summer!

Strawberry Creek

2010-07-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is the swimming hole near our cabin. The raging water has finally calmed down enough to let us play in it. We plan on spending lots of time here over the next many years.

River Rafting

2010-07-20T12:55:00.002-07:00

We stopped at a creek on the way back from visiting Dark Lake and Wrights Lake. The kids rafted down the 12 inch rapids. It was fun for them and beautiful scenery for us.

Grandpa Lamb and Dad are trying to rescue the floaty board from the deep pool. Don't worry, they got, but not without a lot of teamwork and patience.

Cody Lake

2010-07-20T12:55:00.001-07:00

Cody Lake is tiny, beautiful and secretly hidden above Strawberry off highway 50. We'll be back to spend the day at our "own" lake in the mountains.

Oliver and Clay

2010-07-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Someone needs attention....or a lollipop.

Our Swallows

2010-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Every year the swallows come back and build nests in our courtyard. The babies grow and leave the nest and they immediately start over again sometimes in the same nest and sometimes in a new one. They eat most of the mosquitoes we have so we'll go ahead and let them make their muddy nests on the house.

Jerry thinks he's a jungle cat stalking the birds as they fly in and out.

Jerry's Water Bowl

2010-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering why Zeffreyk's water keeps evaporating so fast. We finally figured it out.

Clay's Video

2010-07-20T12:28:00.003-07:00

Clay found the camera while mom was busy.

Emmie Turns 7

2010-07-20T12:28:00.002-07:00

Emmie chose to have her birthday at Cameron Park Lake. She invited her best friend Chloe. Emmie helped decorate the chocolate Hello Kitty brownie cupcakes. She was in charge of the sprinkles and ears. We were at the lake from 11 when they opened until 7 when they closed. Emmie said it was the best day ever!

Artichokes

2010-07-20T12:28:00.001-07:00

My artichoke really did well this year. We had a lot but I never got around to cutting them to eat. I'm glad I didn't. I had no idea how pretty they could get. I guess they are flowers really. I think I will let them go every year from now on.

4th of July

2010-07-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Like the past 2 years the kids rode in the Plymouth Independence Day Parade. We met up with our friends the Nygrens, Madelyn, Morgan and Madux. Emmie refused to even ride her bike. She ran along side the parade and pushed it this year.

Shotgun Vandals

2010-07-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

We missed the Elder Quorum's first annual skeet shooting activity out at the Lymans' place which happens to be just down the road from us. We went to the cabin this weekend to get out of the heat. When we came home late Saturday night this is what greeted us at the driveway entrance. In the dark, at first sight we thought there were spikes set up at the entrance. The we realized there were hundreds of shotgun shells neatly standing all over the driveway. There was even a slalom course going up the road. We have good friends don't we? Thanks for including us in the activity even though we weren't there. And what dedication! It was more than 100 degrees that day, I can't imagine how miserable this must have been.

Pillow Pile

2010-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is something Clay loves to do. He runs around and collects every pillow in house and all his stuffed animals. Then the kids roll around in it. It's lots of fun until it's time to go to bed and no one has a pillow to sleep on. It took Clay 3 or 4 days to get all the pillows back where they belong. He won't be doing this anymore if I have anything to do with it....and I do!

Father's Day

2010-07-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is my Father's Day gift activity for the kids in nursery. I like the paperclip on the back of the tie so the dads can wear them...if the kids don't tear them open and eat them first.

You Might be a Redneck If....

2010-07-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

......this is your idea for a swing set.

Indian Diggins Carnival

2010-07-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Indian Diggins school in Omo Ranch for their little carnival. We weren't planning for a wet activity but the kids jumped right in anyway. They had a great time on the water slide.

Birthday Bowling

2010-07-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Clay's friend, Christopher, from KinderKlub had a birthday at the bowling alley. He only invited Clay from his class. The kids and the grownups had the best time. It was a nice gathering.

Clay's Fish

2010-07-20T12:22:00.001-07:00

At the Ione Homecoming carnival they had fish races. You had to choose a fish, put it in a rain gutter and squirt it with water to make it race to the finish line.

Unfortunately Clay won. Look at his smug face of achievement and Emmie's look of defeat. Clay named is fish Zeffreyk. It's pronounced like Jeffrey with a "k" at the end. We were sure it would not live through the night but as Emmie said the next morning ,"Zeffreyk is going to the oldest living fish in the world." He just might be. For days the kids would get up in the morning and report that he wasn't dead yet.

The next day the kids filled his bowl with glitter to make the water pretty. I had to wash the fish. It's been months since Clay won him and he turned from an ugly gray color to a nice orange color. He seems to be thriving. Maybe that is due to all of the love, attention and petting that Clay has given him.

Shootin' Hoops

2010-07-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Clay's getting to be a pretty good shot in basketball. His dribbling is starting to come along. He can make a lay up and score but don't ask him to pass it. He's a real ball hog, so he should go far in the NBA.

Wakeup!Wakeup!Wakeup!

2010-07-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Harvey helps me wake up Emmie in the mornings. She tries to pretend she's still asleep but he's having none of it. He gets in bed with her and stretches and and spreads out until she can't take it anymore and then he gets her bed the rest of the day.

Nature's Slushies

2010-07-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had a huge deluge of hail one day this spring so Scott grabbed a bowl and made the kids slushies.
Mmmmm! Crunchy!

Great Grandma Dora

2010-07-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

We visited Grandma Dora for Mother's Day at the home she is staying in. Grandma Dora was grateful for the company and Emmie was grateful for the snacks.

Nature Imitating Art

2010-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite trees. It's a red leafed redbud. We had a crazy late season snow and it knocked off the beautiful redbud flowers before we could even enjoy them. The leaves are really just as pretty as the flowers. They start out folded in half the way a child would fold paper to trace and cut out a valentine. Then they open to a perfectly heart shaped red leaf. Nature is putting on an amazing display for us to enjoy this year.

Spring Fever

2010-04-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Emmie planted a flat of beautiful petunias in our front planter strip. She made sure they were watered well and had fun doing it.

April Showers

2010-04-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

We've had crazy weather all year but especially this spring. Yesterday was in the 70s. Today it actually snowed a little! Then it cleared, warmed up and the fog rolled in. The sun was setting and coming in like a lazer beam through the fog and created this pretty rainbow. We could see the entire bow from one side to the other. In fact it was a double rainbow. It disappeared as the sun went down in Sacramento.

Oak Trees

2010-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

The kids helped me collect buckets of acorns last fall and plant them throughout the lawn. We planted hundreds. A few days ago we noticed they were coming up. About a dozen survived, just enough to give the lawn a nicely spaced out blanket of shade that we'll be able to enjoy in 50 years. They are so short right now we had to flag them so we wouldn't mow over them. They aren't actually as tall as the grass but we don't want to drive the tires over them.

Emmie's Yard Sale

2010-04-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Emmie collected a bunch of items from her room that she was willing to give up. Without our knowledge she set up tables of merchandise, made a sign and set up her cash register in front of the garage. We bought some of her things from her and she charged fair prices. We had to shower and get ready to leave for the evening after the sale. We came out to get everyone loaded in the car and Emmie was still manning her yard sale. She had been there for an hour sitting in a folding chair and reading a book waiting for customers. It was so cute and heartbreaking at the same time. We don't live within view of any streets so no customers were going to just pop in. She closed up for the day and then brought it all back out the next day. She was really determined to make some sales. She made $4.87 off of us.

Grandma Dora's Irises

2010-04-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Grandma Dora gave us these iris bulbs last year. They came up right after the daffodils in the area. They are so bright and pretty against the green landscape.

Dog is Dog's Best Friend

2010-04-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is Oliver and Jake. They love each other especially when they are sharing a patch of shade on the first warm day of the year.

Jake

2010-04-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is Jake, our chocolate lab. We were at the Feed Barn a few weeks ago and they had volunteers walking dogs from the shelter in the parking lot. Scott spotted this guy as soon as we pulled up. He made the mistake of asking the kids if they liked the dog before he fully decided if he even wanted to add another dog to the family. Done deal.

He was given up by his owners because he barked too much. That was a worry. Since we brought him home we've only heard him bark a few times. His previous owners would leave him for days at a time with a bag of dog food. He was lonely and fat.

He and Oliver get along great. They play tug of war and hold one toy between them as they run around the lawn. Oliver's new name is "no bite". He bites Jake constantly, not trying to fight but play. Jake just needs to haul off and bite him back. Jake would win.

A customer at the Feed Barn said he raised chocolate labs and thought Jake was a pure breed. He could tell by his huge block head. I was worried he had some pit in him but apparently he's a block head.

He is very smart, so smart he has already learned some really bad habits. He jumps up on the counter and eats what he can reach before anyone notices. He loves to fetch, swim and unfortunately visit the neighbors. We really need some gates soon. Oliver has grown out of following us to town when we drive off. On Easter Sunday Jake spent the entire day in Fiddletown chained up to a tree in someones yard. He must have followed us while Oliver turned back. Oliver, however, chases the neighbor's llama and cows but when we call the dogs Jake will return and Oliver will run circles making us look like fools as we try to catch him. I don't know who's smarter. Is it the dog who obeys simple commands immediately or the dog who ignores simple commands to keep doing what he wants? Well we have one of each now.

Hunt at the Minnick's

2010-04-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ready, set, go! Emmie and Clay were instructed to go slow and let their little cousins, Maggie and Chloe get a head start.

Looks like Maggie and Chloe did just fine by themselves.

Clay shared with Emmie. He gave her a few of his eggs because he had found more than she did.

The best eggs were the ones that jingled.

The Easter Bunny Visited

2010-04-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last year all the bunny had to do to get in was squeeze in through the cat door. We took the door out but the bunny still managed to get in through the same window. We could tell because there was fur all over the window and stuck inside the window frame.
The Easter Bunny was good to the kids again this year. Just like last year there was bunny fur all over everything.
Clay and Emmie played a joke on the bunny. They left a paper carrot above the real carrots. He bit it a bunch of times but couldn't eat it.
Emmie loves her whale.

Clay loves his Lorax.

Here is Dad trying out an Easter Bunny toy.

Here is Dad repairing the Easter Bunny toy.

Cheese!

Pioneer Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ready, set, go!

Have you ever seen so many eggs with so little competition before? The kids needed way bigger baskets then they could have gotten more eggs.

Grandma and Grandpa joined us for the fireman's breakfast right before the hunt began.

Clay found a Golden Egg! He won a special prize from the firemen at the hunt.

Snow in April

2010-04-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

April Fool's! No fooling this is April 1st. What a crazy spring we are having. By afternoon it was in the 50s and sunny without a trace of it ever having snowed.

What a great way to spend a day of spring break.

Clay had to throw a snow ball at mom.

What a surprise to wake up to in the morning.

This is our new dog Jake. He doesn't love the know that much. He prefers a good swim in a pond.(The neighbor's pond!) He does love having his picture taken. He went wild as soon as I pulled the camera out and pointed it at him. Just before this he wasn't very happy about his cold feet.

Oliver loves the snow. It makes him go crazy.The grass was already a foot tall. For weeks it's been springlike and warm. Then it turned back to winter suddenly. The grass helped create a fast sled run.

Here is a view of downtown Sacramento from our driveway. It was cloudy here and sunny there. The falling snow from the middle of the night made the sky so clear. If we had a better camera this would have been an amazing picture.

Daddy Daughter Dance

2010-04-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Dad left work for a few hours to take Emmie to the Daddy Daughter Dance at Pioneer School for the second year in a row. Dad even stopped to buy Emmie a pink rose. Emmie was really embarrassed. But she did keep the flower in her room for weeks after. Emmie was so excited for the dance. She dressed up in a new skirt which she wore to school that day, the dance that night, to a slumber party at Nonni's the next day and to visit Grandma Dora the day after that! Emmie danced with Chloe, Lenore, Riley and Kaya but not really with Dad. The dads stood around and talked and got to know each other.

Let's Make a Tent

2010-04-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more fun than building a tent out of dining room chairs and blankets? This was up in the middle of the family room for nearly a week. It didn't take much to knock it down so we rebuilt it many times.

Thank goodness for Dad's medical skills. Without his forceps we wouldn't have had any walls.

The tent started out as a wrestling ring. That's usually how most things around here start or end with the kids in charge.

Getting ready for bed. Gotta have a flashlight just in case.Ollie sneaked in sometime after the kids went to sleep. Mom found him with his paw resting on Clay's head. He really did not want to come out of the tent.

"Wooops! Did I do that?"

Cleaning Crew

2010-04-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well this is one way to get the kids to help clean. The mirror was cleaner than when they started. Now how do I get them to clean the toilets? I don't think I even want to ask.

Emmie's Program

2010-04-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Emmie's class presented a program about weather for us. The gym was packed even though it was only Mrs. Bolster's first/second grade class. We were very proud of Emmie. She sang loudly and did most of the movements. She even volunteered to fill in and hold up a sign for a child who was absent.

No Clean No Screen

2010-04-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I had this genius thought. I don't know why it took me so long to come up with this but life is so much better now. The kids love TV, computer games and video games. I decided they don't get any of those things if their is any kind of a mess on their floor or in the playroom. I don't want to jinx anything but it's been almost 2 weeks and their rooms and really the whole house is clean and staying clean! Yes they are watching too much TV and playing on the computer too long but right now I don't care because I can walk in their rooms without falling down. They played board games all day yesterday though and everything went right back as soon as they were done before something new came out. Unbelievable!

Santa's Visit

2010-04-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

The night Santa came to leave presents his elves took some pictures and left them for the kids in their stockings. We don't think he knew he was being photographed. Some of the pictures area little incriminating.

Here Santa is trying to get in the house. Notice the latch on the door isn't even locked.
Push Santa don't pull!

Santa having a chat with the elves he sent to watch over Emmie and Clay. He was probably telling them they could go home because they were gone by the time we got up.

Santa is softy for the animals. If only Oliver could talk he could tell us all about his experience with Santa.

Apparently Santa didn't like the snacks we left him. He helped himself to a can of Spaghettios. What a mess!Santa checking on Clay.
Somehow Santa made it through the room to check on Emmie.

Oliver's guard dog instincts kicked in. Either that or he just wanted to chew the puff ball off the end of Santa's hat.
Thanks for visiting Santa, and thanks for the gifts. We'll all try to do better this year.

The Perfect Day

2010-04-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Obviously BFF! (with a love hate relationship)

Now here are the real BFFs! (also with a love hate relationship)

This was on our own property! Sunny and snowy? Perfect!

My Sweet Children

2010-04-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Don't believe them. They are obviously trying to get away with something.

Make a Face

2010-04-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

Naughty, naughty children taking pictures of each other AND other victims

Pucker Up Buttercup

2010-04-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Caught in the act! Nuff said.

Homemade Caramel

2010-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

I really wanted apples and caramel like you get in Apple Hill. They sell the caramel for $11 a pint but that just seems ridiculous. So I did a lot of searching for the recipe but they keep the caramel recipe secret. Maybe they sell it in one of their cookbooks but not the original version that I have. I found this recipe from the Rainbow Orchards farm website where they don't have a bake shop but they do sell apples.
1/2 cup real butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
14 oz condensed milk

Melt butter. Add sugar and syrup. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Add milk. Bring to boil stirring constantly to 240 degrees.

Pretty simple! Sure beats unwrapping hundreds of those little Brach's caramels which were the kind of recipes I was finding while searching for a good homemade recipe.

Slumber Party

2010-04-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Emmie, Clay and Ollie had a slumber party in Dad's tent in the middle of the family room. They were a little restless and had a bit of trouble settling down to sleep.

A little bit of a static problem. Talk about some major bed head!

Christmas Eve at the Minnicks'

2010-04-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

We're all set and ready for the gifting to commence. Everyone pay attention!

The load of presents gets more ridiculous every year even though we all promise to cut back. Jennifer is playing Santa this year. It's the most dreaded job there is. Emmie was brave enough to help her out.

Clay got one! Grandma Dora is making sure everyone is paying attention, taking turns and saying thank you.

La la Delma, Uncle Bernie and Gesa were smart to sit at the snack table because it was bound to be a long night.

Savannah was lucky she didn't have to be Santa's Helper. She did it last year and is still recovering.

Vicious

2010-04-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

"No more pictures!"

Ouch

2010-04-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Clay had a major gift unwrapping injury. He had a paper cut on his chin. Thank goodness for band aides. He has Scooby and the Gang on his chin. Not too obvious!

Christmas Morning

2010-04-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Santa brought big kid bikes! Mom even got one but it was from Dad and the kids.

This was Clay's favorite present. We took the kids to Target to pick out a present for each other. We were distracted and talking to friends we saw at the store. We saw Clay and Em dragging this down the aisle toward the cart. It was almost the largest box he could find. We tried our best to talk him out of it. First of all they were supposed to pick out the gift they thought the other would like and we would keep the kids separate and the carts in different areas so they couldn't peek. At home Clay played with his secret present from Emmie through a hole in the box all month long before Christmas.

This is the present Emmie chose for herself for Clay to secretly buy for her. She was really into Barbies this year for the first time. She also looked at this present all month. It was one of the first she opened this morning. Next time we'll take the kids on separate trips and lock up the gifts. Somehow we'll have to lock up their lips so they don't spill the beans the second they get home from the store.

Santa Preparations

2010-04-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

Emmie and Clay were really nervous because they hadn't cleaned their rooms before Christmas. Emmie felt that a note of apology would help with the disappointment Santa might feel and his decision to leave more or fewer presents.

Clay made Mom write his note. He never did pick up his room. He's not sure how Santa will react to broken promises next year. Clay was also having a hard time going to sleep. He was both nervous and excited.

We left cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

The kids made reindeer food and sprinkled (or dumped in Clay's case) it on the lawn.

In the morning we found reindeer prints all over the driveway near the reindeer food. There was also glitter all over from the sleigh. We also found a couple of tags that fell off of other kids' presents. We sure hope Santa remembered who they belonged to.

Christmas at the Lamb's

2010-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

We spent Christmas day at Annie's parents' home. Bella was the most excited really getting into the present opening and shredding her and others' gifts open.

Arrrgh Matey!

2010-04-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Dad took Clay for a walk on the property. Of course Clay had to pick up all the cool looking sticks along the way. That IS the whole reason why you go for hikes to look for cool things to collect. We have a huge and quickly growing collection of cool sticks, rocks, bottles, bones and even a few skulls. This time Clay slipped on a wet leaf and a poison oak stick stabbed him in the eye. Clay said of course it didn't hurt. Dad had to bandage him up before they could go with the rest of their day.

Snow Balls

2010-04-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

We had the biggest snowstorm this area has seen in decades. We all had lots of fun playing in the snow for a whole week while school was closed. Oliver is a snow dog. He actually would get too hot playing and would have to bury himself in the snow. Unfortunately after a long day of playing he would get covered in snow balls that really hurt and pulled at the fur on his hiney. We had to let him come in and thaw his tush periodically.

Catching Up

2010-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

I really like recording all of our happenings all year long on the blog. This is our family's journal of life. There has been a lot of competition to get on the computer the last 4 months but I don't want to just let those months go undocumented. I'm going to try and catch up on all the things that happened and once again try to keep up on the current family news. We'll have a little bit of Christmas, winter and Valentine's in April if I'm lucky. Hopefully May will just be May.

Santa's Elves

2010-04-06T13:19:00.001-07:00

Santa sent an elf to watch each of the kids this year right before Christmas. They showed up in the strangest places and disappeared each night to report back to Santa on the kids' behavior. Then they'd come back to a new hiding place the next morning. They popped in and out for weeks leading up to Christmas. We haven't seen them since Christmas Eve.

The kids were terrified the first night and begged Mom to get rid of them. Mom refused to touch them because of the warning note they came with that said their magic would disappear if touched by human hands. The kids finally decided they were dolls with glass camera eyes so Santa could watch their every move. As is normal with Emmie and Clay they would fight with each other or act naughty despite being watched. Once they remembered Santa was watching they would quietly go up to the elves and apologize. Emmie had to go to time-out for some reason which just so happened to be right under where the elves were hiding. She flopped around hysterically screaming, "Don't make me sit where the elves can see!"

We were glad to have the elves visit this year. Santa was good to the kids so he must have seen all the good they did this year. We are hopeful they return next year.

Easy Easter Eggs

2010-04-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

I had to blog about this great idea for dying Easter eggs. Use whisks! So simple. No mess. Real fast. Wow let's boil up some more eggs and do it again! I am going to have to hit the after Easter sales and get some more coloring tablets. My kids will actually eat boiled eggs if they are pretty colors.

Waking to a Rainbow

2009-12-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

What a treat to wake up to this in the morning. The rain had just stopped and sun was just beginning to peak in the east.The rainbow began on the south side of the house (which did not photograph well) and ended on the north side. The kids were feeling very special to have our very own rainbow. Clay was a little ticked that he couldn't see the purple band and the red sort of blended into the yellow so he couldn't see the orange clearly. His class at school is really big into rainbow order. We saw a beautiful rainbow and he saw a rainbow with flaws.

We Had Dinner with the Real Santa!

2009-12-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we were at Chili's for dinner. Scott dropped the kids and me off to get out of the rain while he parked the car. While we were waiting out in the vestibule a gentleman with a full white beard and curly hair came in. He was wearing a red t-shirt and gold rimmed glasses. He said, "Oh, the kids have to wait outside?" like he was sad for them. I thought, you know, dressed like that, he's asking for trouble. I replied, "Well, they've been really naughty." The man went inside then popped his head out quickly and whispered loudly to me, "No Mom, actually they have been trying really hard this year!" and went back in. Emmie and Clay were bug-eyed and gasping with their hands covering their gaping mouths. Emmie said, "I can't believe we actually saw him!" The best part of this story is the wonderful pleasant dinner we were able to enjoy this night. The kids could not have been better behaved. Eating dinner in the same restaurant as Santa while he was off duty was the best thing that could have happened to the kids (or the parents!) By-the-way, the Big Mouth Bites at Chili's are pretty awesome! I don't know what Santa would recommend.

Church Christmas Dinner

2009-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

As usual, after the Christmas dinner at church, Santa made a visit. The kids were totally brave and prepared this time. Finally! Emmie put on her best dress for him and rehearsed what she would say to him. She wanted a new bike. She told me she didn't tell him what kind and that she would let him pick out one for her. I know that really he better bring a Hello Kitty bike or he'll be in trouble. She has complete faith in Santa's judgement.

Clay didn't wear his best clothes but he did run and put on a clean shirt that he thought Santa would like right before we piled in the car to head to church. The kids take their Santa visits very seriously.

Emmie and Clay were both very brave and went right up to sing with the primary children. We didn't have to poke or prod them along like we've had to in the past years. It's so nice to see the kids growing up and feeling more comfortable and confident in themselves.

CA Academy of Science

2009-12-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

We absolutely love the Monterey Bay aquarium but we decided to try the one in San Francisco to stay closer to home. The Planetarium was interesting but was scary for the kids and sickening for the adults. The tropical rain forest was hotter than South America in July! Pretty butterflies though.

The 3D bug movie was fun.

Watching the kids take pictures was more fun.

Nothing beats the Monterey aquarium but we enjoyed ourselves here.

More Snow Pictures!

2009-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

I took a ton of artsy snow and frozen crystal pictures. You'd think I'd never seen snow before. That's what happens when you spend an entire week at home not able to leave even to buy milk, go to the post office or anything else while the kids were also at home off school.

The Owl

2009-12-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

During the big snowstorm the trees were coming down everywhere. This owl decided to make our courtyard his temporary home until the snow melted out of his tree or maybe his was one that fell. He slept soundly during the day and didn't let us bug him. He had the cutest fat round body and pointy ears.

The Annual Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Before.

During.

After. Clay sort of pooped out on his. He spent so much time piling and completely covering this one area it ended up one sided.

Emmie did her best. It's nice and organized.

Har Har

2009-12-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

There was a big tree down across the driveway after the storm. We were taking the truck to get to the lower part of the property to go sledding. Scott didn't want to get out and walk and didn't want to try and move it. So he drove over it. That was simple enough. Unfortunately it wrapped itself around and up into the hitch. Scott dragged that 20 foot tree the entire length of the property. He said he was glad because it actually saved him time not having to load it up to take it to the burn pile. That part was fine but then it took him another half hour trying to get it to come loose from the truck. We sledded and laughed at him while he sweated it out trying to dislodged it. Clay said, "I don't think Dad has a brain." So true, so true my son.

Thanksgiving Tree

2009-12-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

For a few years now we have had a Thanksgiving tree the month of November. We each write things we are thankful for on leaves and hang them from the tree. It's one tradition I never want to forget. Then I collect the leaves before the Christmas decorations go up and put them in their memory books.

Ready for Church

2009-12-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

This is Clay at his best. Thank goodness he's only 5 and can pull this off. He bore his testimony at church today. He said he loved Jesus and his family. He even blessed the food , Jesus and the gospel while he was at it. Emmie piped up, "This isn't the dinner prayer!" He sure got a lot of compliments because he had gone up there all by himself. He needed no one to hold his hand, whisper in his ear or be near for moral support. He's an attention monger. He's just like his dad. His dad's hair looks better, Clay likes his monkey hair. No one can match Clay's style however and it's all him. I really want to make him wear a sign that says, "I dressed myself!" on days like this. I guess that would be most days really.

The Kids' Very Own Tree

2009-12-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

We have been putting up a fake tree for the past few years because it just looks so much better. We feel bad that we don't let the kids go out and hunt for a tree and let them "help" cut it down anymore. That was a tradition we wanted to keep going and did the first few years we had the kids. So this year Scott took the kids out to search for a tree on our own property. We wanted something sort of small so we wouldn't have to rearrange the furniture. This is what they found just as the snow started to fall right before the big storm hit. It was the top of a ponderosa pine. It was wider than it was tall. We had to prune the branches back a foot in every direction. The branches were not only huge but scarce. It's our Charlie Brown Christmas tree for sure. It was free and the kids were totally in charge of picking it out, hanging the lights and ornaments. They were sure proud of it. Oliver liked it too, even so much he pulled a big glass ball off and carried it to the other room. Unfortunately it exploded in his mouth. I didn't enjoy having to sweep the inside of his mouth and around his tongue with my hands to get the shards of glass out but he quickly learned his lesson. Pretty to look at, not to eat.

Good job kiddoes!

More Snow Fun!

2009-12-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

Ready for blast off!

The kids being towed behind the truck.

Flipped the sled, did a trick and didn't get hurt a bit! This was momentous. Almost every trip Clay went down the hill hooting and hollering loving the thrill and then crashing face down and crying. This time he shook it off and went again.

Watch out Clay has a snowball!

The kids went flying down over the bank. They thought it was so funny landing in the bushes and trying to crawl out.

Even the tractor was fun, not that it isn't usually but anything covered in snow is at its maximum capacity for fun.

We need bigger sleds!

Brrr! This is awesome!

White Christmas...Almost!

2009-12-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

This was the biggest, coldest snowstorm we've had in the area in 33 years. I'm so glad we were here to enjoy it. We were fortunate to have heat, water and electricity. Grandma and Grandpa Lamb were out of power for a full 5 days! We were snowbound however and couldn't get down our driveway for those 5 days but we tried to take advantage of it as much as we could stand. Scott had to drive out in the 4wd to get to work each day. We begged him to stay and play. He was able to play during the day a few times before going to off to work so he didn't miss it entirely. We discovered we have the best sledding runs right here on our property. They aren't too long or too steep. We could have opened a snow park IF people could get into our place. Lots of fun! I wish it could give us a big dumping of snow like this once every year. By the end of the week I was thoroughly ready for the kids to be back to school and the snow and ice to dry up. Putting snow gear on kids all day long and running the dryer to keep up with their wet winter wear was for just that week was more than I could handle. We're ready for summer to return now, we've had our fill of winter. It was just so pretty I suppose it was totally worth every minute of it.

Grey Squirrel

2009-12-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

Clay's kindergarten class put on a wonderful performance this year. He was a grey squirrel. Others were owls, leaves, turkeys and scarecrows. He really played up his part. A fifth grader thanked the class for the performance and said he especially enjoyed the squirrels.

Firty

2009-11-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Emmie Teaches Clay to Read

2009-11-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

Emmie pretended to be Clay's kindergarten teacher, Miss Trulock. Clay was Clay and all the other children were out sick and absent. Clay is actually picking up reading very quickly right now. It took him awhile to even be interested and now he's flying. If you ask him who taught him to read he says he taught himself as he says about everything else he can do.

Big Momma

2009-11-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is Clay being "Big Momma." We don't know where this idea came from. He seems to think he's pretty funny. I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered. It's probably something he picked up in public school!

Candy Haul

2009-11-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

After a trunk or treat, a school carnival and trick or treating in the neighborhood (not ours!) the kids dumped their loads in the family room for a trading session. Clay likes everything and Emmie likes only chocolate. Dad said, "Is that all you got?" This will probably last them until next Halloween. I see a Butterfinger I'm going to snag when Clay isn't looking.

Halloween Trick or Treating

2009-11-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Madelyn, Clay and Emmie at the Trunk or Treat at the Jackson Ward building.

Sweet little Morgan on her way to go trick or treating in Ione.

Mad Dog Maddux ready to scare the pants off all the trick or treaters.

Emmie and Madelyn antsy and sparkling ready to haul in some candy.

More Ewwww! for Halloween Week

2009-11-14T18:49:00.000-08:00

I saw Oliver playing with something kind of big in the driveway the week of Halloween. He was throwing it in the air and drooling like a mad dog. This is what he had. Thanks to the kids always ready to jab anything with a spear I didn't have to freak out too much. They took care of it when Ollie was bored or tired of being bitten, we're not sure which. I don't care if anyone thinks it's cruel to kill a harmless tarantula or not. When it takes lots of stabbing to finally make it stop moving it's just too creepy to exist.

Bats in Our Belfry!

2009-11-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

The week of Halloween we had lots of authentic Halloweenie style excitement. The weather was perfect so we were leaving our doors wide open. After dinner Emmie said she thought she saw a bird fly in. That wouldn't have been the first time. Walking over to where it was I noticed how dark it had gotten outside. Birds don't fly at night generally. Moral of the story....If you are going to leave your doors open for cross ventilation make sure you close them before dusk!

Fun with a Quilt

2009-11-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Scott asked me if we had a blanket he and the kids could use outside. I told him to get the picnic quilt from the car. Once I was finished with getting dinner started I went out to see what all the hootin' and hollerin' was about. This is what I found. So much for the WHITE picnic quilt.

Contortionist Oliver

2009-11-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

The only way we can keep Oliver out of the house is to lock the doors. He walks up to a door and pulls the handle down and pushes it open. Last night he was getting desperate to come in. He poked his head through the cat flap in our window. He could barely fit his head through so we just laughed and waved at him. He didn't give up. He wiggled and squirmed until he squeezed is giant dog body through the flap. We let him stay in after that feat. He was just so tired he wanted to get some sleep. I took a video when it seemed like he might actually get through but it's a bit like watching something give birth. So I won't post it.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

Clay made our center piece for Thanksgiving in kindergarten this year. Thank you Clay, it's really cute!

Bean Jar

2009-11-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

Something we have been doing for a couple of weeks now is using beans to reward the children for being nice or doing good things. The reward this time was to take a trip to Ikea. On Veteran's Day the kids doubled their efforts and earned enough beans to fill up the jar. It was perfect since we had the day off and Scott didn't have to be anywhere until evening. You would think a trip to a store wouldn't be enough of an enticement but they love it there. The chocolate cake from the cafe alone is enough to make them be nice to each other and pick up after themselves.

Emmie's Flag of Honor- Finally!

2009-11-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

Clay made a flag at least a month ago to display on his door when his room was clean. Emmie has been wanting to make one so desperately but not enough to actually clean her room. I finally cleaned it and she made her flag. She messed up her room today but cleaned up as soon as she was done playing. That was truly a miracle, something that has never happened before. I don't want to jinx anything but I think maybe this will really help the kids to keep their rooms clean. PLEASE LET IT BE SO!