Day by Day

1-1-11

2011-01-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Only in Montana

2010-04-11T17:44:00.002-06:00

More soccer

2010-04-07T20:17:00.002-06:00

Let the Soccer Craziness Begin

2010-04-06T21:52:00.001-06:00

And the Soccer season begins...

Four children, four nights of the week!

or Monday...

2010-03-08T09:19:00.002-07:00

This is real life...and to show my sweet friend Carrie that girls wear their underwear on their heads too...maybe its because she has older brothers!

Rethinking

2010-03-01T09:28:00.002-07:00

I am so goal oriented, and so organized in my thinking that I just couldn't restart this project unless it was a beginning of something. Well, today is the beginning of March...March 1st. And while it does bug me that it is two months into a new year already...it is still a beginning. It is a sickness, I know. The other thing I know about myself is that I set high expectations. Usually too high that I could actually meet them. So toady, March 1st, a new beginning, I am lowering the bar. I can't very easily rename the blog, but instead of a daily picture, I'm going to try a weekly picture. So each week I will pick a theme (with the help of you!) and try to get a picture within that theme. Then on Saturday, I will post the picture. I guarantee I will take lots of pictures just trying to get the perfect one to fit that theme, but there is less pressure to do that every day. I think I can handle once a week. If by June I am not being consistent, you may see this change to once a month...

So give me some theme ideas...I will put them in a jar and draw one out every Sunday and then post on Saturday.

Here's to new beginnings...

New Hair

2009-10-14T18:40:00.004-06:00

So after a month away and feeling like a complete failure for it, I am picking myself up and say "oh well!" and trying again...

It is nice to sort of have a photo diary of our life, so I am not giving up. I've already had my worst fear with starting this project happen, so there is no where else to go now.

Yesterday, Morgan cut her pigtails off. You can read about it here. This is the resulting rescued hair cut. It is darling, but it makes her look like she is not a toddler anymore. Which...I guess at 3 1/4, she isn't.

September 12, 2009

2009-09-12T22:15:00.003-06:00

He played a little offense, a little defense, but this was my favorite shot - center! #53

September 11, 2009

2009-09-12T22:11:00.001-06:00

We are choosing to ignore the last few days......today - almost 13!

September 7, 2009

2009-09-07T21:47:00.002-06:00

Tug-of-war in my clean garage.

September 6, 2009

2009-09-06T21:52:00.004-06:00

Lest anyone say I play favorites... Judson's cool football bruise.

Sweet, goofy Mikalah

Jarrett - he knows how to push my buttons

Precious Meredith

Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey

Morgan - full of personality

And my man!!! I glad he love me!

September 5, 2009

2009-09-05T23:28:00.002-06:00

Some days I am optimistic - I see the glass half full... ...other days I think I am never able to accomplish anything and the glass is definitely half empty!

September 4, 2009

2009-09-04T23:24:00.003-06:00

Nighttime ritual...

...this sweet boy almost always finds his way out to the sofa about an hour after he has been put in bed and is sound asleep. If I manage to be in bed before he gets up, then he finds his way to my side of the bed and squishes me into the middle of the bed until I'm uncomfortable enough to wake Mike to put him back to bed. It is still somehow sweet that he is such a cuddler.

September 3, 2009

2009-09-03T23:18:00.003-06:00

What??? After 51 posts in a row, I missed a day! Completely missed! I didn't even think about the fact that I needed to take a picture. Didn't even pick up the camera - probably didn't even look at the camera! And when I think back to yesterday, there were plenty of fun things I could have taken pictures of...the least of which was Jeffrey fully clothed and sopping-wet from throwing the hula hoop into the pool. Oh well - failure is one of my biggest fears and it wasn't that bad...I'll move on and keep trying to post every day!

September 1, 2009

2009-09-01T20:17:00.004-06:00

Messy day...

August 31, 2009

2009-08-31T23:05:00.002-06:00

August 30, 2009

2009-08-30T21:57:00.001-06:00

Goodnight!

August 29, 2009

2009-08-29T19:15:00.002-06:00

My attempt to get the kids to sit for a picture. I think I better leave it to the professionals. They wouldn't cooperate as to where to sit, or move, or smile and look like they were having fun...which I was not after about 2 sec.

August 28, 2009

2009-08-28T23:00:00.001-06:00

Today is blank. That's kinda how I'm feeling today. Nothing looked picture interesting today. And really I just didn't want to take pictures today. Tomorrow...

August 27, 2009

2009-08-27T21:26:00.003-06:00

At the end of the evening, everyone scatters and mommy does dishes. Not my ideal, but it is. I have a friend that can not leave dirty dishes in her kitchen. She will not go to bed until her kitchen is beautiful. What a wonderful thing to wake up to! And yet, for some reason I can't get that same uneasiness about leaving a dirty kitchen. It is more of a "have to" chore. I know that means I should train my children to clean the kitchen, but even that sounds like a big chore...another chore for the mommy. It really is a never ending chore list, isn't it!

August 26, 2009

2009-08-26T08:42:00.003-06:00

Hallelujah!

First day of school 2009

Mikalah - first day of Jr.High!

Judson - 5th

Jarrett - 3rd

Meredith - 1st

August 25, 2009 ish

2009-08-26T08:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a full day...the kids got to meet their teachers and we had to get last minute supplies...organize clothes...and lunches...and special dinner and dessert...and baths and showers...well needless to say, I missed taking a picture. I can't believe that after this long I missed a day! So this is first thing this morning instead.

This is what Jeffrey does right now when we try to take pictures...its real life.

August 24, 2009

2009-08-24T22:26:00.003-06:00

I don't know how many more first I can take with her this week. Today the bike riding thing finally clicked and she was off and pedaling!

August 23, 2009

2009-08-23T21:50:00.002-06:00

August 22, 2009

2009-08-22T23:14:00.001-06:00

Princess Diva Meredith has lost her first tooth!

August 21, 2009

2009-08-21T22:19:00.002-06:00

Sisters...

August 20, 2009

2009-08-20T23:58:00.002-06:00

Never ending...

August 19, 2009

2009-08-20T00:12:00.003-06:00

I don't know what she was doing...but she was tucked into the laundry basket watching TV. It was just a relaxing day.

August 18, 2009

2009-08-20T00:06:00.003-06:00

Cousins...they are the best!

August 17, 2009

2009-08-20T00:00:00.003-06:00

Okay, some catch up. Family and travel and laundry hampered my uploading.

Family at Yellowstone...at Mammoth Hot Springs...Jeffrey didn't want his picture taken.

August 16, 2009

2009-08-16T22:52:00.002-06:00

Can we be done with camping yet????

August 15, 2009

2009-08-15T17:34:00.003-06:00

August 14, 2009

2009-08-14T22:45:00.003-06:00

My sister, Juliet, and I posing by the Woodhouse Toad at the zoo!

August 13, 2009

2009-08-14T22:43:00.004-06:00

Cousins...

(internet down yesterday)

August 12, 2009

2009-08-12T20:49:00.003-06:00

Bedtime reading... How half of my pictures really turn out...

August 11, 2009

2009-08-11T21:58:00.003-06:00

August 10, 2009

2009-08-10T22:52:00.002-06:00

Well, where else would you expect us to go on our anniversary? Every other date night we end up there. This was special though...this one is in Thorton, CO!

August 9, 2009

2009-08-09T21:38:00.003-06:00

Mike took his CWI test this morning, then we spent the rest of the day visiting people. First, Davey & Ashley (Mike's second cousins once removed) and their daughter, Dawson. She is such a cutie and Davey & Ashley are awesome parents!
Then we visited with our college friend, Ron Bansil. Great time catching-up!

August 8, 2009

2009-08-08T20:27:00.002-06:00

No people in today's pic, but had to share where we ate dinner. Why?
Because we missed GOOD Mexican food! This place was amazing! They make their enchiladas with Chihuahua cheese!!! (not cheddar like most of Billings' restaurants)

August 7, 2009

2009-08-07T23:38:00.003-06:00

What's a girl with helmet hair to do?

A pretty barrette!

August 6, 2009

2009-08-06T22:25:00.002-06:00

Fifteen years of adventure together! And its still an adventure!

Hairpin turns of the Beartooth Pass. But no more pictures because the rest of the day was spent with thunderstorms. Thank you, Lord, for rain gear!

August 5, 2009

2009-08-05T23:33:00.002-06:00

Just a hint of what is to come...

August 4, 2009

2009-08-04T22:03:00.004-06:00

My son (far left, in the red shorts) playing basketball in the rain tonight. And me taking pictures from the front porch...see I'm a supportive mother! He had such a blast, despite the fact that half the team didn't show.

August 3, 2009

2009-08-03T21:42:00.002-06:00

August 2, 2009

2009-08-02T21:27:00.003-06:00

You haven't lived until you've played two games of Dora Candyland with these three!

And I promise I do the girls hair!!! Really, I do!!!!!!

August 1, 2009

2009-08-01T20:33:00.002-06:00

July 31, 2009

2009-07-31T16:20:00.004-06:00

These are the four children that made yesterday's huge mess. They have been playing nicely for the past three hours, including nursing Jarrett's pretend broken arm back to health. Broken in honor of our friend, Ben.

Now if only I had actually done the girl's hair this morning...oh well.

*** EDIT: I posted these before I took a few seconds to crop the lovely bunk bed out of the picture. Patience...I'm trying to learn that.

July 30, 2009

2009-07-30T22:51:00.004-06:00

I know that this is meant to remind me of how precious my family is and to help me enjoy them more. But I couldn't help but give you a peek into why I needed to remember those things.

This is what happens when cleaning up after small children who were left unsupervised in the basement looks like. And just to be clear, I was the one that left them unsupervised when

the mess came into existence. Somehow that didn't make me any less upset.

I am happy to report that all six children are still alive, and being fed. However, I may have to double up my efforts to remember to enjoy them for a few days.

July 29, 2009

2009-07-29T21:56:00.002-06:00

July 28, 2009

2009-07-28T22:50:00.003-06:00

After two weeks of posting, I finally am posting a sleeping child picture. Although the feet picture was also taken because it was late at night. But this boy has been so sweet today...lots of hugs. I just can't believe how big he has gotten.

July 27, 2009

2009-07-27T21:03:00.004-06:00

We're almost done!

Today's result was very good...come back in six months and then say goodbye to the orthodontist.

Until Judson starts seeing him in the Spring...one down...five to go!

July 26, 2009

2009-07-26T23:38:00.003-06:00

Stole a shot idea from a friend - fellow pastor Russ Michaels, of ConnectChurch in Bozeman - because it was 11pm and no good pictures today.

July 25, 2009

2009-07-25T22:18:00.001-06:00

That pesky thumb that we just can't get rid of...
...but it's so sweet and only when she is about to fall asleep.

July 24, 2009

2009-07-24T22:45:00.002-06:00

Tonight we went out to Mike's uncle and aunt's ranch for CORN and hotdogs and marshmallows. Family from out of town was visiting and we had a great time!

July 23, 2009

2009-07-23T21:28:00.003-06:00

They were suppose to be reading...
...but somehow I don't think they really were.

July 22, 2009

2009-07-22T21:52:00.004-06:00

Not a picture today, but a video. It's my blog, so I get to make the rules.

July 21, 2009

2009-07-21T16:16:00.004-06:00

Yeah for big brothers! Judson helped Morgan overcome her fear and get into the water. She played for over and hour and didn't want to get out!

July 20, 2009

2009-07-20T14:47:00.002-06:00

I pray they will be best friends for life!

July 19, 2009

2009-07-19T20:16:00.002-06:00

Like father, like son... ...relaxing and watching golf.

July 18, 2009

2009-07-18T21:08:00.002-06:00

Picked Mikalah up from Jr. High Camp...

...and did some geocaching on the way home.

July 17, 2009

2009-07-17T21:50:00.003-06:00

Today we have some poor quality photos. Why is that? Because I am still not in the habit of taking my camera with me everywhere I go. And because today was a busy day and I kept forgetting to stop and take some pictures.

So this evening we were at some friends house for dinner. In their front yard they have an awesome climbing tree. We only had the four youngest with us and they took full advantage of the tree. Jarrett and Meredith had a whole story line going as they climbed the tree. Jeffrey struggled to get into the tree, but worked and worked and made it up. He is a little cautious, though and didn't go very high. Morgan on the other hand was up in that tree before we even knew it and seemed quite comfortable up there.Hmmm...something on her foot...no problem. She just balanced herself and got whatever it was off. This is her spiderman pose...she does have older brothers obviously!

July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T21:45:00.004-06:00

So many fun pictures today...

Shopping at Costco and climbing in through the back...a kid favorite......playing at the playground while siblings are at sports camp......sports camp party at the local park and pool...

...but really when we are talking about day to day life, this one wins the prize...

He is such a sweet boy, but he is four and really struggling with listening and obeying and not back-talking or using his haughty eyes or kicking or hitting or throwing a fit. This was one of several "time-outs" at the playground...where we were for 20 minutes. I just know that he is going to grow up and be an amazing man...if he lives that long!

July 15, 2009

2009-07-15T17:28:00.000-06:00

What a big girl getting to sit in the front seat!