Shoeless Shina

So yesterday I got a phone call from Shina at the end school asking me if I could come pick her up (she normally walks). I said, "Sure, but why?" She said, "I lost one of my shoes?" I said, "Shina, how did you do that?" She said unconvincingly, "I don't know". I said, "What were your shoes doing off your feet?" She said she had taken them off for the Thanksgiving feast and couldn't find one of them at the end. So of course I couldn't let her walk home from school with only one shoe on her feet. So I drove to the school and there she was, standing out on the sidewalk with only one shoe on and the other one completely bare. The funny thing is that last school year she called me and asked me to bring her some shoes because one of her shoes had broke. I think I might just need to start sending an extra pair of shoes in her backpack.

Whahoooooooooo!!!!!!!! Happy Day!!!!!

Today I am officially a nurse! I took my test on Tuesday morning and left feeling like I probably failed. I didn't really want to tell many people that I had taken it because then I would have to tell everyone that I failed. Now after waiting two agonizing days for the results I can officially say that I passed and I am an LPN! I really wish I could say that I am done with school and that I am an RN but I have two more semesters until that happens. But this is a milestone and I will take the day to brag a little and celebrate that my dream of becoming a nurse is now a reality.

The Tower!

The other day Chad found Lafer in the pantry with all the cereal boxes out. Chad asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm building a towuh!"

The other day Chad found Lafer in the pantry with all the cereal boxes out. Chad asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm building a towuh!"

He only spilled a little cereal. But then he was kind enough to help with the clean up by crushing all the cereal with his feet.

I don't know how this tower will stand up! Looks like more mess to me.

Family Night Fitness!

Last Monday night for family night Chad (I have to say that it was his idea) and the kids decided they wanted to exercise. So they put in my Turbo Jam DVD and away we went!

It was so fun to watch every one try to do the moves and keep up with the routine.

I think they are all hooked now! Especially Sage who says every night, "Dad, are we going to Turbo tonight?"

Maybe someday we will make or own work-out video!

Wet, but warm Halloween!

I have to say I love that they changed day light savings time til after Halloween! We still had plenty of daylight to trick or treat in. This year was a little bit different for us though because for the first time we didn't trick or treat all together as a family. Isaac took off with his friends before I could even get a picture of his costume that he created. He is 12 now though and I just need to get used to the idea that his friends are getting to be more and more important. Shina invited her cousin Hollie to go with us but we were to slow for them and they were way ahead of us most of the night. Avery was invited by her friend Josephine to go trick or treating with her. They got to ride around on their electric car and Avery came home with a ton of candy.

At least I was able to get a few pictures before everyone went their separate ways.

I have to say though it was one of my favorite Halloweens in a long time. (No, not because my kids were all trick or treating somewhere else.) Despite it raining off and on throughout the night it was really quite warm. I didn't have to worry about dressing the kids up super warm. A sweatshirt under their costumes was plenty.

Sage was hilarious! She kept saying, "I love this!" and "This is so much fun" as she skipped from house to house. She wanted to go all night!

Lafer really started to catch on to the idea of what Halloween is about. He resisted putting the darling monkey costume on at first but after he started seeing the candy start filling his bag he realized how cool it was. Although I did have to carry him most of the way.

I imagine my kids are not the only ones, but they always have to come home after trick or treating they have to sort all of their candy out and compare what they got.

We had a fun surprise outside our door when we got home. Somehow Grandma and Grandpa Parrish, who are on their mission in Georgia, left a box of cereal for each of the kids for Halloween! Now that is a real trick and treat!

The kids always sleep really good after that long night of trick or treating. Lafer couldn't even wait til we put him in bed to fall asleep (with his thumb in his mouth of course).

Temple Square

A couple Saturdays ago Chad and I decided to take the kids up to Temple Square. The older kids have all been there at Christmas time to see the lights but the younger two had never been. It was a beautiful day! We first went to eat at the Lion House (a little bit pricier than what we thought it would be), then we went and walked around and went into the visitors centers and into the Tabernacle, after that we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial and watched the Joseph Smith movie that we hadn't seen yet. It was amazing, although there were a few parts that were a little bit scary for the younger kids.

Lafe couldn't help but splash in the puddles.

It was a perfect day with only minimal fighting. Chad and I said to each other on the way home that we wished every Saturday could be as relaxing.

LPN Graduation

On Friday was my graduation from the LPN program. I was so excited to graduate but it is only the half way mark for me as I am still working for my RN. It was a great celebration none the less. The graduation was held at Thanksgiving Point. I didn't get to sit and enjoy the graduation as much as I would have liked to because I was asked to speak. As much as I know it was an honor to represent my class it still made the day a little bit more stressful. I talked about how nursing school among many other things is only temporary but that we will always be nursing students because our learning won't end at graduation.
I was so glad to have Chad and the kids there to support me (minus Isaac who was doing a service project at an indian reservation in southern utah). They have all had to make so many sacrifices for me to be able to go to school. It was also a privilage to be able to stand and publicly thank them.
I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband not to mention a great tutor. He has helped me so much while I have been in school. Hopefully they can all hang on for just two more semesters.

A little bit of light reading

I decided it would be fun to stack all of my nursing books up to see how tall of a pile they would make. I wish I could say I have read and remember all the stuff from these books.

The first snow!

Last Sunday morning the kids were so excited when they woke up and found that there was snow all over the ground.
The first snow is always the most exciting and they wouldn't even change out of there pajamas before they went outside to play in it.

The snow only lasted half the day but they had fun while it lasted.

Can you believe Shina is 10!

Shina had a great birthday this year! She was so excited to have a party at Jump on It and got to SubZero for ice cream.
She is so lucky to have such good friends and cousins that live close by.
Instead of a cake Shina chose to have fried ice cream for dessert. I have to admit I would much rather have fried ice cream than cake any day too.

After Isaac got a gun for his birthday Shina wanted one for hers as well. She is kinda a tomboy anyway. She was sure excited when she opened up her BB gun.