Thanks Kim

I just wanted to thank Kim for taking over while we were at the hospital with Jay. I know it was a lot to handle after a big long day. You are amazing and I am grateful you are my daughter. I can always depend on you.

What can I do for you? Name it. It's my turn to do something for you.

Family Picture

Before everything went crazy this week we attempted a family picture. Here is a preview. You'll have to wait until Christmas to see the "normal" one.

Blog?

A bit of trivia for the day:

Where did the word "blog" originate?

The word "blog" is short for "Web log," a site one establishes for the purpose of putting one's thoughts online for the edification or amusement of visitors.

Catch Up Soon

The last few days have been filled with adventure. I will be back to fill in the details soon . . . after another full nights sleep and time to catch up. Until then, here is a summary.

A new church calling
2 nights in a row with less than 5 hours of sleep
First day of school
Trip to the doctor and hospital
A midnight appendectomy for Jay

It took our new ward over a month to start "issuing" callings. Todd and I haven't been called yet. In our last ward I taught a 5 year old primary class. It was a very hard class with many "active" children. It was hard spending all week taking care of my family and then to turn to a bunch of other people's children on Sunday. I use to joke saying that when a mother has 7 children she should be excused from primary.

I have wanted a change from primary for quite some time . . . until now.

I love my new primary class, the CTR 7 class. They can sit still in singing and sharing time. They participate in class. They are a great bunch of kids.

Yet still no official primary calling. I hope I get to stay in primary and teach that great bunch of kids.

I will serve wherever I am asked with a happy heart.

Camp Pictures

Camping . . . We were awakened every half hour to children complaining about sleeping too close to each other. The camera was having problems . . .

But still fun . . .

Monday is the best day of the week to go camping. We had the whole campground to ourselves including the swimming pool. We had a great time . . . setting up camp, swimming, roasting hot dogs for dinner, campfire songs, and smores . . . fun, fun, fun . . . until we all climbed into the tent to go to sleep . . .

Great memories!

ebay

Yes, we have bought many things on ebay.

Here is an item for sale that any mother can appreciate. Make sure you read down through the description.

I laughed . . . a lot.

Old Spaghetti Factory

Todd and I have always loved eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory. They opened one in Boise at the end of May. We finally went there on Saturday. Yum! I had the the spaghetti with rich meat sauce and Todd had the lasagna. It was so good that I can hardly wait to go back again.

Camping

We're taking the kids on a camp out tonight. Wish me luck. Hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post tomorrow afternoon.

What's For Dinner?

Trying a new thing . . .

Before I went grocery shopping, I asked everyone what one thing they would like to eat for dinner . . . and help me cook or cook themselves if they are old enough. Here's what they came up with . . .

K-Chicken Enchiladas
T-Baked Macaroni and Cheese
E-Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos
Ju-Mexican Chicken Casserole
Ja-Chicken Fajita Pita
M-Homemade Pizza
N-Gyros (Actually, I picked this one. It is one of my favorite dinners)
Dad-Lasagna (I picked this one too because he wasn't around when I made the list. He makes great Lasagna)
Mom-Baked Pasta, Uncle Larry's Recipe

We had Jay's dish for dinner last night. It was absolutely yummy!

I know the kids love to help in the kitchen. It usually takes more time when they are helping but hopefully the memories will be worth it.

Morning or Night Person

Which are you?

I am definitely a night person. I am usually very tired (and grumpy) in the morning. I love to stay up late after all of the kids go to bed. I read or watch TV/movies.

I've always wanted to be a morning person. I want to get up early and get my "chores" done, exercise, and get ready for the day . . . all before the kids get up.

But . . . I always stay up way too late to do that.

One Word Meme

This is a one word meme:

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your husband? Amazing
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Gone
5. Your father? Grumpy
7. Your dream last night? Vivid
8. Your favorite drink? Milk
9. Your dream car? Undecided
10. The room you're in? Office
12. Your fears? Snakes
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? 39
14. Who did you hang out with last night? Family
15. What you're not? Showered
16. Muffins? Orange
17. One of your wish list items? Pavillion
18. Where you grew up? Idaho
19. The last thing you did? Blog
20. What are you wearing? Clothes
21. Your TV? Off
22. Your pet? Dog
23. Your computer? Useful
24. Your life? Good
25. Your mood? Anticipation
26. Missing? Sanity
27. What are you thinking about right now? Packing
28. Your car? Clean
29. Your work? Undone
30. Your summer? Crazy
31. Your relationship status? Happy
32. Tomorrow? Camping
33. When is the last time you laughed? Today
34. Last time you cried? Saturday
35. School? Soon

Finding Something to Do

The kids always seem to find something to do in a yard that doesn't offer very much . . .

riding a bike . . .

picking tomatoes . . .
fixing a bike . . .

sharing milkshakes . . .

being king of the mountain . . .

flags in the sand . . .

Tearful

Kim missed something that was really important to her today because of a time mix up. She was so sad and tearful. It makes my heart ache when my children are sad.

Vanished

I spent all day yesterday finishing my book, Vanished, by Lynn Gardner. Loved it. I borrowed the book from my father-in-law several months ago. It sat on the shelf until just a few days ago when I picked it up and couldn't put it down except to take care of my family. Check out the link above to find a synopsis of the book. Once again . . . loved it! I hope to read more books by the same author.

Memory Loss

Well . . . a couple of minutes ago I knew what I was going to write here. But I left the office to rescue a boy who got shot in the eye from a Nerf dart gun and when I came back I couldn't remember.

The 5 little kids are playing army this morning, having a great time, and all getting along great. Yea!

Family Cheer

2 . . . 4 . . . 6 . . . 8

Let's have a day

That's really great!

Goooooooooooo Andersens!

You Asked

A meme (pronounced meem) is a cultural item that is passed on. In the blogging world it is kind of a chain blog. You fill in the blanks about yourself and then pass (tag) it on to someone else. And since you asked, Jenn, tag, you're it. Copy the 5 things meme below into your blog and change my answers for yours. You don't have to pass it on if you don't want to but I hope you'll at least add your list to your blog.

And I love the name of your blog, flip flop mama. It totally fits you!

Picture of the Day

Even young men put corny things on their heads.

Happy Birthday Jenn!

Now it's your turn for some fun photos. Make sure you show these to your kids.

Is this the only family picture ever taken of all of us together?

Swim Time

Tomorrow is the last day of swimming lessons. Here are a couple of pictures of the kids classes.

The Lights are On

Niko has finally figured out that he can reach the light switches. Well, actually he can only reach the bottom of the switch. So basically he can turn the lights on but he can't reach high enough to turn them off . . . so . . . I walk around the house all day long turning lights off over and over, again and again.

Happy Birthday Larry!

Happy Birthday Larry (2 days belated). Here are some fun pictures to help remind you of the earlier years.

5 Things Meme

Yes, I know these memes are a little obnoxious, but this one is kind of fun. So . . .

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Contemplating Adoption
2. Making a trip to Disneyland
3. Buying a House
4. Trying to loose weight
5. Getting our first (and only) dog

5 Things on my to-do list today
1. Take pictures of the kids in the sprinklers
2. Return the Redbox DVD
3. Take Kim to get a haircut
4. Go to the bank
5. Tag Kim for 5 things Meme

5 Snacks I enjoy
1. Chocolate Covered Raisins
2. Chips and Salsa
3. Chex Mix
4. Frozen Chocolate
5. Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings

5 Songs I know the lyrics to
Okay, there should be a least some good 80's song listed here but hence, being a mom . . .
1. Leaves are Falling All Around
2. I am a Child of God
3. Teach Me To Walk in the Light
4. I am Like a Star
5. You've Had a Birthday

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire
(after tithing, of course)
1. Pay off the mortgage
2. Save for Missions, college, and weddings
3. Travel to Hawaii with the whole family
4. Support missionaries
5. Hire a maid

5 Bad Habits
1. Staying up too late
2. Procrastinating
3. Being too Nosey
4. Being grouchy in the morning (refer to #1)
5. Chewing gum in church

5 Things I'd never wear again
1. Silver, since I'm allergic
2. Four Inch Heels
3. Earrings for pierced ears
4. Large Hair Bows
5. Glasses (thanks to LASIK)

5 Favorite toys
1. Computer
2. Sewing Machine
3. Kitchen Aid Mixer
4. Movie Room Projector
5. Crockpot

Okay, Tagging Time. I'm tagging Kim and anyone that would like to play! Just let me know if you decide to do it so I can come see yours!

Winter Dinner

I LOVE to cook and bake. It's the cleaning up after that I'm not so keen on. I haven't been cooking much in the summer because the thought of standing in front of a hot stove or oven on a hot day just doesn't appeal to me.

The other day Todd and I were talking about the foods that we really enjoy. The first thing that came to my mind was the chicken enchiladas we had a few days ago. I love almost anything Mexican. He said the were good but one of his favorite things was pasta.

I decide to make a meal he would enjoy, something I would not normally make in the middle of the summer because it required three heat sources, the George Foreman Grill, the stove top, and the oven. So, on a hot summer day I made grilled chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo, and oven roasted summer squash (fresh from the garden). We also had cantaloupe from the garden.

It was absolutely delicious and I am very thankful for air conditioning.

Suggestions

When I first started my blog I wanted the web address of LDS Mom but it was already taken. I was anxious to start and didn't take very long to decide on another address. When blog spot suggested momenator, Kim and I thought it was kind of funny and I went with it. Now I'm thinking I might want to change the name to something that suits me more (although being an LDS Mom who parents like the terminator may describe me, ldsmomenator).

Any suggestions?

Missionaries

The missionaries came for Family Home Evening last night. The spirit touched my heart continually throughout the night as they testified of things I already know to be true. I am once again reminded and amazed at the spirit and strength that continually surround the missionaries.

Visibility and Other Issues

I have driven a mini van for just over 14 years now. The visibility is quite grand compared to other vehicles. I didn't know how grand until I sat in the driver's seat of a 2007 FORD MUSTANG. Yes, I did say Ford Mustang. I am still a little bit mesmerized. Todd, Kim, Tom, and I went over to the Ford dealership to take a look. We showed up after hours so we had to settle on sitting inside rather than going for a test drive. It felt very comfortable but . . . the windshield was only 2/3 the size of my big mini van. Is it something I could adjust to? Do I want to adjust to it? There also isn't very much leg room in the back seat. Would that be a problem?

Is there even a chance that I would ever own a Ford Mustang and have to deal with these issues? Hmmmm . . .

FHE

Time to go clean up the house a little and plan a yummy dessert. The missionaries are coming for Family Home Evening tonight.

Movie Review

I do not like scary movies. But I do like shows with weird twists. The scariest movie I have ever watched was "The Ring." It was just creepy. Don't watch it if you haven't seen it.

So . . . Saturday night we made a trip to the video store to rent a movie for Justin's birthday. He was hopeful we would rent the new TMNT movie (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) which we discovered does not come out until Tuesday. We rented the original TMNT movie for him and decide to rent one for ourselves, Premonition. I had seen the previews and it looked like a twisted plot, time travel, chick flick kind of movie.

The plot was definitely twisted but it had some pretty creepy moments. And the ending was terrible!

I have seen quite a few movies in my time, some much better than others, but I rarely see a show that I think was a total waste of time. When I was done watching Premonition, the first thought that came into my head was, "I can't believe I wasted two hours of my time on that."

Google Earth

I've had fun looking stuff up on Google Earth, checking out a satellite pictures of the different places I've lived.

Here is a fun link to some strange pictures taken by Google Earth.

Want to find you house? Just type in your address. After the map comes up, click the satellite link. You can zoom in and out. Fun Stuff!

Whenever Map Quest has failed to find an address for me, Google has never let me down.

The Real Harry Potter

Here's a short article about the "Real Harry Potter."

Words That Flatter

Last night at dinner Jay said, "Mom, you're a good cooker."

Later in the evening Justin said, "Mom is so smart, I tell you!"

Yes, they are both simple phrases. But they still touched my heart, none the less.

Weather

It has been hot for weeks.

First Todd checked the air filter on the central air. It was so filled with dust and . . . Well, it's quite amazing how much better the unit works without having to try and blow air through that muck.

We thought adding some curtains in the house that we could close when the sun is beating through might help. We love the big open windows for the light and the view. We had to commit to making sure we always opened them when it wasn't necessary to block the sun. The picture above is Todd installing the rods. You can get a glimpse of the color, red, just along his back.

Today was the first day of swimming lessons, 9:00am. The pool was in the shade and we all froze.