Following the Slopsemas

Super Bowl Village

2012-02-01T07:48:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun last night going down to Super Bowl XLVI Town. We wandered around the streets of Indy getting to see people zipline over us. The kids wanted so badly to do it but the tickets were sold out days ago and the wait once you had a ticket was around 4-5 hours. Doodle was in heaven taking in everything and everyone going on around him. He even started greeting the people we were passing. Priss loved getting to see the Lucas Oil Staduim. Swee loved it until his legs started aching from all the walking. Jason and I loved getting to see the Lombardi trophy on the JW right under the window to our room there. I loved getting to share in something as a family when it was everyone's first time. Priss asked if we were going to be going to the actual game on Sunday. I told her no but that we would watch it on tv and that appeased her. Go Giants!

Harnessing his Inner Maori

2012-01-30T13:11:00.003-06:00

I walked out of the kitchen with him coloring and returned to find him with black marker on his face. I was certain it was done by a sharpie I found close by but thankfully it was from a washable marker! What is it with my boys, their faces and black markers? I even hid them or at least thought I had hidden all of them.

3 in 2 weeks

2012-01-30T12:49:00.003-06:00

He lost the first of 3 teeth while I was at the hospital with my dad following his hip replacement surgery.

A few days later, 3 to be in fact, he lost another one.

This tooth has quite the story behind it....when he was four he had dental surgery to fix six teeth. Two of them required root canals. These teeth started to get loose last summer so we returned to the dentist to find out if the caps were loose or the teeth. We found out it was the teeth. So we were told that he would loose both over the next couple of months. Well, he lost the first in August and now last week he lost the second. He now has only his one year molars and is six year molars. The others we wasn't supposed to loose for another 6 YEARS! When he lost the second tooth last week he asked the tooth fairy for a ds instead of money. Can't blame him for trying!

Basketball Season

2012-01-30T12:37:00.002-06:00

There is a basketball player living in our house and she loves it! She has waited years to be able to play on a team like Jason coached. Her team is in second place and doing very well.

This particular game she was fouled while shooting made both of her free throws and was so excited! It is so much fun to watch her play basketball and to hear her and Jason talk strategy on the way home. The downside of her season is that she plays Saturday nights when Jason is having to supervise BRV games. So he has missed several of her games and has had to hear about them second-hand.

Christmas and New Years

2012-01-03T09:35:00.005-06:00

magic reindeer food

new pjs

We had a very blessed holiday season this year. Family and friends surrounded us at every turn and it was delightful. Jason and I celebrated our 10th anniversary with a night away at the new JW and a breathtaking view from the 33rd floor. It was awesome being treated like royalty thanks to Papa Ed's Marriott connections.

We hope yours was as wonderful as ours.

They will be there I promise

2011-12-14T09:37:00.002-06:00

Even though I ordered our family Christmas pictures early last week the company is running 2 WEEKS behind schedule so my pictures will be arriving AFTER Christmas probably. I am still planning on mail them out but they will be more wishing you a Happy 2012.

Christmas Pictures are Back

2011-12-07T10:53:00.006-06:00

Just last night I was able to get my hands on our Christmas pictures. I was like a giddy school kid waiting for a vacation from school. (This the third time I have attempted to type this post so I am not promising much). So here is the summary of what the previous two said...one of us didn't feel the need to smile, not telling you who so you will have to wait until yours arrives in the mail, they are ordered but who knows when I will get them in my hands and then get them addressed, and finally if you have moved please comment with your new address so I can get them to the proper location the first time around.

Oh and I really want one of those professional cameras. You know the ones that run about $2000. I don't think Jason will go for it so I am just going to remind him in the long run it might just be cheaper to buy me one instead of having someone else always do it.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-27T19:03:00.004-06:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful. It was full of food, family and traditions. We had 4 generations at our Thanksgiving breakfast, picking out our Christmas tree and for a Thanksgiving dinner. Jason older brother even made it for our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night. This years tree has been the largest pain in the world. It didn't want to fit into the tree stand so it had to be tied to the wall with fishing line. Griswold family here we come!

The kids got to ride the bus home last week. Priss had a bad experience the first day because she had to sit at the back of the bus all by herself. Thanks to Honey that got changed the next day and then she was elated to ride the bus home. Swee was in heaven since he got to sit with a little girl from his class. They can't wait for tomorrow to get here so that they can ride the bus home this week.

too cute not to post

2011-11-02T08:33:00.002-05:00

reading one of his favorite books at the kitchen table this morning!

Trick or Treating, Oh What Fun!

2011-11-02T08:19:00.004-05:00

all ready to go. in fact swee and priss were so impatient that we sent them across the street to the neighbor's house just to give us a couple more minutes to get doodle ready.

played catch-up all night but didn't mind at all. he was mister independent wanting to walk to the doors by himself and even pick out his own candy.

our sweet neighbor across the street. her and her husband authored (sp) a book and gave us a copy. the kids love it and think it is pretty neat to have a real author living across the street.

doodle and jason making their way to the next house with a light on.

he didn't quite make it all the way up to the door before priss greeting him with some candy.

he literally sat down in the middle of the street. i think he was ready to go home and enjoy some of the spoils he received. jason and priss continued on while the boys and i headed home to pass out some treats of our own.

Apple Orchard and Selecting Pumpkins

2011-10-08T13:05:00.003-05:00

selecting their pumpkins for this year

honey went with us

checking out the different types of apple trees

before and after

2011-09-30T13:49:00.004-05:00

before his hair cut

after his hair cut

I swear other children live at this house but they are at school and I don't get many pictures snapped of them in the evening hours. Also my mom always swore she didn't take enough pictures of my youngest sister so I am making up for that travesty.

What has been keeping me busy

2011-09-24T16:00:00.003-05:00

The one on the left is mine and the other two are the twins I take care of. Just yesterday I had the pleasure of bathing one 2 year old and two 1 year olds. Water was everywhere thanks to all the splashing and water being poured on the floor but everyone came out clean in the end. But boy was it every chaotic! This was how I kept everyone corralled while I ran the water and made sure no one toppled down the stairs. If they don't look like trouble nothing does in my opinion.

Randomness

2011-09-19T10:51:00.005-05:00

supporting football friday at school

new chocolate chip cookie baker in the house and he is adorable

soccer is in full swing now and they are on different teams.

she is running for student council for her 3rd grade class. tomorrow is the election and she has to give a speech in front of her class. one of her closest friends is running against her...this could be a drama filled week!

Birthdays and etc

2011-09-12T20:23:00.004-05:00

i had a birthday!

he had a birthday and was so cute on the phone receiving birthday wishes!

snuggling with Ggpa

we have been enjoying the cool days of having our windows open followed by the sweltering days of indian summers. the kids are liking school. Priss has loads of homework each night (1-1 1/2 hours) that we are trying our best to tackle with a good attitude. Swee man continues to keep his teacher on her toes daily! They use a stick system and each behavior has a different color attached to it. Just today he came home with 4 sticks being pulled - on a five stick day you are sent to the principal. We are working on making better choices because I really don't want to see him sent there for not listening the first time or interrupting someone but those are the rules and the consequences. As for the Lil Man...he is always into something and doing his best to imitate the older two. He loves to play catch, read stories, ride his four-wheeler and snuggle with his blanket. If only it were possible to freeze him at this stage because his favorite thing to do is to be chased or chase someone around the house giggling the entire time. Jason is working way too much but still loves his job. Like today for example he left the house at a quarter til six this morning and didn't get home until almost 10 tonight. I am holding or maintaining the fort to the best of my abilities while reading a couple of new books from my birthday. This life is wonderful and I marvel at just how blessed I really am.

He...

2011-08-16T10:57:00.004-05:00

lost a tooth that had been capped over a year ago - it was tragic to say the least when it came out!

had fun with cousins

started public school

She...

2011-08-16T10:49:00.005-05:00

had her first sleepover

celebrated a birthday with a special friend and some family

had fun with cousins

got baptized with lots of family there supporting her

is in 3rd grade

our july up to now

2011-07-22T07:09:00.009-05:00

oh, what a GAME! they won! they actually won! it went to extra innings (3 or 4 extra ones) and they won on a homer by their dh. it was awesome! swee was so excited he was crying. priss was singing GO CUBS GO as loud as she could on jason's shoulders. we had great seats and the weather was perfect. i love our yearly tradition and that we continue to add more things to it...the temple and now the dunes.

we also did our now yearly stop at the temple. it still amazes me the tranquility that you can sense as soon as you drive upon temple grounds. the kids love getting to see the angel moroni on top of the steeple and they love hearing how aunt erica and uncle matt were married inside those temple walls.

the dunes was another stop this july. neither jason nor myself had ever been so we went there on our way home from chicago. it was so cool to hike the dunes while overlooking lake michigan. jason and i talked that we would like to go back next year and spend the day.

we took the kids to a dairy farm and they loved it! jason's principal recommended we take the kids and i was a bit skeptical but there was so much for them to do...milk cows, drive tractors, and watch a calf being born.

fireworks and a cookout with our great friends the jones. jason met ryan before he was baptized and we have remained good friends through the years. we got married within months of each other, have had kids within months of each other (however they are adding another one this november and we are still content with 3), and we all get each others idiosyncrasies.

looking glass falls and sliding rock with Pat and Ed

the water at sliding rock was a brisk 50 degrees...priss loved it, lil man loved it the first 3 times and swee loved it until he went down with grandpa who let him stay in the cold water a little too long!

preparing for a baptism

2011-07-12T10:26:00.002-05:00

i just finished making priss's baptism invites...it is only one month away! will i be prepared by the time family arrives? i have to be!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Washington State, Ains's Dance Recital and Coop's Baptism

2011-06-11T13:10:00.010-05:00

Leaving on a jet plane for Washington State with a layover in Denver. The kids were great flying out. Everyone was asleep at one point in time. They were so excited to get to their cousins that they didn't mind the time it took. Coming home was a different story. The only person who napped was Swee and that lasted about 20 minutes. They weren't all that excited about leaving everyone even if everyone is heading out here in August for Priss's baptism.

Coop's Baptism

Ains's Dance Recital - We were so excited to hear that her dance recital would be while we were out there. They always went to Priss's when they lived in Indiana. She did a great job and we loved being there.

The Sound

Day 1 - it was beautiful at the Sound. The tide was out allowing the kids to see a lot of cool things like...crabs, sand dollars and shells. They had a blasting playing there I just wish I would have changed them into their swim suits sooner. I ended up with a ton of sandy, wet clothes!

Day 2 - took Jason and Dad out to the Sound so they could see the beauty of the mountains against the water. There was even snow still on the mountain tops. Gorgeous!

An actual rainforest. I hadn't ever been to one before. It was neat to listen to the kids talk about what they were seeing with each other and to know that they were learning something as they were talking with each other.

Ocean Shores - a beach like none other I have ever been to. It reminds me of a Mid-Atlantic beach with all the grass growing up through the sand and it was sooo cold. Loved going there though.

Recital Time

2011-05-24T11:58:00.007-05:00

ggpa came to the recital this year....the kids were so excited to have him there!

the opener...rhythm of the night

At the Codfish Ball

being a little embarrassed when he first got on stage...after the music started the "ham" came out

sofie and swee

all ready to take his bow when the dance was over

rockin robin - her competition number

zippidy do dah
her jazz dance

receiving their awards at the end of the recital

priss got an honorable mention for her age group in Little Miss Personality, we were sure swee would get one but he didn't and he was devastated! he said, "I smiled Mommy. why didn't I get an award?"

first in the family

2011-05-07T20:11:00.003-05:00

helping Jason mow with his new mower...he conveniently left the other one at the old house

first softball game...batted twice and got singles both times...they use a pitching machine.

first teeball game...i loved this pose...he did well hitting and loved playing pitcher.

I completely my first mini marathon and have to say I am SUPER glad it is over. However, it was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. I made it within 3 minutes of my goal. Not too shabby since I have never ran more than 4 miles continuously!

easter

2011-04-26T08:47:00.004-05:00

honey feeling doodle's ear

counting swee's eggs

on the hunt for some eggs

me and the kids

jason and the kids

the kids

swee

doodle

priss

i found my basket first

peter cottontail left me books about baptism

my basket was hidden in the laundry room....crazy bunny

this year peter cottontail hid the easter baskets and left one clue for each person to help them find their baskets. it was a home run! the kids loved getting to search the house for the exact spot that their had been left. priss left a note about what she would like in her basket. swee simply wanted some candy and doodle could have cared less about what was in the eggs. he just cared that he could open them. following church we had easter dinner at my aunt lana's and then came home for a quick clothes change before heading off to honey's for an egg hunt and another dinner. the kids had a great easter and each year I am amazed that they just want to hunt for eggs but don't care what is in them. happy belated easter everyone!

1st place GOLD and 5th OVERALL

2011-04-09T15:06:00.002-05:00

in all my years of life..not that very many i'll have you know but enough...i did something for the first time today. i attended priss's very first competition for tap. she was all smiles and nerves as we got ready to leave yesterday afternoon. jason and i had talked that since we had to be there at 7:15 a.m. and it was over an hour away, and she didn't dance until 8:45 a.m. we would just go down the night before so that everyone would get some more sleep. when she and i arrived at the site there were only about 5 cars in the parking lot. we went in and immediately found her instructor and her dance partner. all of us made our way to the dressing area, which was a large gym with tarps all over the floors. we still hadn't done her hair, make-up or painted her fingernails yet so we got down to business. by 10 till 8 her hair, make-up and nails were done, and she had her tights, costume and feather decorated shoes on. she was ready to go but it wasn't time yet. jason, the boys and my mom got there about 15 minutes before she took the stage. she did AMAZING! she smiled, hit her taps and kept her arms straight which was all we really wanted them to focus on. her partner and her were so excited when they finished that they were all smiles. now we just had to wait for the other numbers for finish before the awards were given out. her routine Rockin Robin got a gold first place award and they placed 5th overall. we were so excited! i think a tear or two might have been present when their group was called. at the mornings start she said she wasn't sure if she wanted to do this "competition thing" again but by the time we left i think her mind had changed. we'll just wait and see how she feels after the next competition at the end of this month! but for now she is floating around the house somewhere wearing her gold medal around her neck!

we couldn't video tape so still pics is as good as it gets!

farm days at the fairgrounds

2011-04-09T14:52:00.004-05:00

swee's preschool had a field trip to farms days so the babies(twins and little)and i tagged along. he had so much fun getting to see a sheep get sheared, pump water from an old time pump, pet a baby bunny, sit on a big tractor (this was the highlight of his trip) and to milk a cow. it wasn't very crowded. which was wonderful since i was wheeling a double stroller and toting a 25 lb child in the backpack carrier. i was so glad that we went because he had so much fun. he literally seemed to run from one exhibit to another.

where to begin? hmmmm!

2011-04-09T14:29:00.004-05:00

let's start with the quick trip to see jason's parents over the end of priss's spring break and the start of jason's. we literally seemed to make a flying trip to the western corner of nc late one friday night to get some furniture they wanted us to have in the new house...bed for priss that had been her great-grandpa don's, her grandpa ed's and her dad's, a new king mattress set for jason and me, a chest freezer since they had three and didn't need one of them, and a few other misc. items. while there we ate at a hole-in-the-wall pizza place that was awesome. and we took a hike through the smokey mountains. the kids were really bummed that the great smokey mountain parkway was closed so we couldn't do the hike that grandpa ed had planned but we did inprovise and find a trail that was just right in terrain for them. we took a lot of pictures and really enjoyed getting to be outside in the gorgeous scenery.

over jason's spring break we...painted the basement tv room, relaid the carpet in the basement from the flood, put up priss's new bed, decorated her walls, put up our new bed, painted swee's room, put up beadboard in his room, painted the living room, removed wallpaper from the living room, and managed to keep track of 5 kids and two mothers. without our mothers' help we couldn't have gotten so much done. oh, we also went to ivanhoes for dinner and dessert one night. it was crazy but the house is looking sooooo good...like it is ours!

we even were able to return to our old ward and attend a baptism of one of priss's good friends. they had been in the same church class since they were 18 months old. it was so great to see her friend making the same choice that she wants to make in a couple of months.

both of the older kids have starting baseball and softball respectively for the first time this spring. they are so excited to get the games played and they feel that practice is pretty neat. swee is working on running the bases in the correct order and priss volunteered to pitch or play second base. at least i convinced her she didn't want to be a catcher! whew!!!

what did you do over your spring break?

updates on us

2011-03-17T08:36:00.005-05:00

he and i are now the same age again for the next couple of months.

we are now a family of 7 during the day and a family of 5 through the evening - the family i nannied for for 11 years now have 5 month old twin grandbabies and i take care of them. the kids love having them come each day and are very upset that the mom thinks she should take them home each night.

lil man decided to see what throwing his head into the main spindle on the stairs would feel like...hints the gash in his forehead

He had a birthday

2011-03-08T12:08:00.003-06:00

Hard to believe that he had a birthday making him old enough to attend kindergarten in the fall. he had a great party with lots of family here to help us celebrate. the one gift he really wanted was a new Lighning McQueen bike. He got it on his actual birthday but he had to find it. We played hot and cold. He didn't enjoy it very much at first because he got frustrated when it wasn't in the first room he looked it. We resolved the issue and he was off and searching again.

guest post by Priss, herself

2011-03-01T18:23:00.002-06:00

The Flood

There's a flood in our basement. Daddy is at work, and we are at home on the 1st and 2nd floors. This is how it stared. one cold dark night. A great storm was at our house. A light flashlight and it rained hard and harder until it flooded our basement. So now we are trying to get the water out. Pray that we get all the water out.
Great news we got all the water out of the basement. We just need to put the carpet back.
Bye.

snow, snow, snow!

2011-02-25T09:01:00.002-06:00

we awoke to all this this morning!

#3

2011-02-23T08:36:00.003-06:00

funny. adorable. silly. copycat. smart. amazing. trash-picker. eats anything. blankie lover. his cry makes me giggle - as long as it is during the daylight hours. thinks he is a big kid. loves to dance. cries when told no. stubborn. determined. wonderful. independent. climber of stairs. loves to clean. everyone's buddy. our little!

my three cute valentines

2011-02-15T19:43:00.003-06:00

what's up with both boys having their mouths open?! i guess they were just yelling they loved me as i took the picture.

I want to get to know you

2011-02-15T19:33:00.003-06:00

so that our sis girl could get to know her classmates better we hosted a "I want to get to know you better" party. she sent out 23 invitations and we ended up having 10 of her classmates. we planned to play a dvd game, decorate sugar cookies, make popcorn, and learn a cool fact about each person. it was amazing to see just how much she enjoyed getting to have her friends at her house. i realized just how grateful i am to know that she has begun to make friends and that there are ones that i would be willing to have over.

Air Guitar and Oreos

2011-02-15T19:23:00.002-06:00

One night the kids treated me to some air guitar and original songs. It was great watching the three of them do something together. Swee got a paper jam for Christmas and they put it to use.

Priss got some earmuff from Gap a few weeks ago and she wears them when she is singing to her HSM or Taylor Swift cds. This particular night Lil Man wanted to wear them. He just walked around with them on his ears and would come to me when they slipped down so I could put them back on.

A face to love - saying cheese with oreo residue all over it!

17 months & 90 months

2011-02-09T08:41:00.001-06:00

17 months old

7 1/2 years old

where has the time gone?!

snow/ice storm of 2011

2011-02-02T19:53:00.003-06:00

yes, here in the midwest we are enduring the snow/ice storm of 2011 and missing lots of school. our week's recap thus far:
monday - home to recoup
tuesday - first snow day of the week and i decided to have the kids work on some school work
*priss - phonics, reading, writing, & subtraction facts
she wrote about home school and her lack of enjoyment of having me as her teacher, it was quite funny! she doesn't ever want to have me as her secular teacher EVER
*swee - letter recognition, writing his name, shapes and number recognition
wednesday - snow day #2 - more home school, as priss calls it, but not as much
thursday - snow day #3 - when priss was told she instantly started crying that she wanted to go to regular school and didn't want to do home school with mom anymore. maybe tomorrow we will just do our reading, subtraction facts, name writing and letter recognition, or we might just play it by ear! who knows!

it is our prayer at this house that it never comes to mom being the main teacher or else i think we might have some home school dropouts!

disney on ice

2011-02-02T10:32:00.003-06:00

thanks to santa we were able to go see disney on ice when it came to town. the kids loved it and were asking to go back again next year. priss even stated that she thought santa was a genius for getting us tickets.

the first time

2011-01-29T15:29:00.003-06:00

our sweet, precious little man wanted to have something to call his own and he went out of his way to assure that he would. earlier in the week he started getting sick - messy diapers and a fever. fast forward to yesterday and he introduced not keeping anything down, not even dilute. so off he and i went to the doctor after a four wait for our appointment time. by this time we was completely lethargic, dry heaving and moaning. i was so thankful for the 7 minute drive to the doctor instead of the hour and 40 minute one we had been making before the move. upon listening to what had been going on with him and seeing just how he lacked energy - good ole Dr. Burt - sent us over to the hospital for some hydration over night. this was the first time we have had a child admitted to the hospital due to sickness. when the time came to put the iv in - after being there for about 2 hours - he was done but didn't have any energy to object. after three nurses had tried to find a vein that would support the fluids we asked for an anesthesiologist to come and give finding a vein a try. 10 tries and a hour and a half later A VEIN was found that would sustain the influx of fluids - the crook of his left elbow. it was a rough night with a lot of moaning, thrashing and not sleeping. he even managed to get a substantial goose egg on his forehead from one of this thrashing episodes when his head made contact with the side rail of the bed. he finally slept from 5-8 a.m. and then again at 12:30-2. we got discharged since he didn't have a fever anymore and was able to take 6 ounces of fluid - a strained soup - which he kept down. he was so excited to see jason and to get to go home. i've never seen him grab his blanket as fast as he did today when i asked if he wanted to go bye-bye.

as a side note: the older two had the stomach flu the entire night at mom's house but at least jason was staying there and got to take on that challenge. i guess i am grateful that they all had the stomach flu at the same time - now if jason and i can just escape without getting it. probably won't happen but i can hope and pray!

pictures of the new house before renovations

2011-01-27T10:09:00.014-06:00

Priss's room - it is the largest of all the bedroom because of her "secret room"

kids bathroom - gotta love the double vanity, we sure do

Lil Man's room

Swee's room - we will be painting a different color than Bearcat purple soon!

game room with adjacent full kitchen/man cave

playroom

master bedroom - wallpaper will be removed soon

first floor 1/2 bath

dining room

the library

i forgot to take a picture of the tv room - it has french door that both open with glass inserts in the door and on either side. i also accidently deleted the game room picture so just imagine a 13 in tv sitting on a child's table since he don't have furniture for that room yet.

have you missed me? didn't think so...

2011-01-27T09:56:00.005-06:00

but here is what we have been up to anyways!

sledding at McCullough Park

playing in the snow

contemplation

2011-01-18T08:20:00.002-06:00

we are pretty much settled into the new homestead now we are just waiting for the kids to get used to their new teachers and schools. swee is testing his boundaries with his new teachers and i am unsure if they are holding strong or not. we have struggled with keeping our hands to ourself. not that he is being mean but just that he is touching people. priss on the other hand thinks school is forever long and really misses her old class and friends. she is inundated with worksheets it seems and that is so different from the old school/classroom. i am in an quandry as to what to do. the school she goes to is a great school but just seems to be stuck in the worksheet era, whereas at the old school they did a lot more hands on learning - science lab (building simple machines), each 2nd grader had their own netbook for the school year (did spelling, internet research and writing assignments on it), and they went to specials more frequently. priss has went from a student who loves, LOVES, loves school to one who really could take it or leave it. jason and myself are contemplating applying to a labratory school that is close by. both kids would be at the same school next fall and it is an exceptional school but to be admitted you must be chosen from a lottery and each grade level only has about 40 students total with siblings of current students being selected from a sibling lottery first. i think we are going to apply and leave the decision as to whether they should go or not up to Heavenly Father. he hasn't lead us wrong so far and i don't know why he would begin not!

this raising kids is quite complicated and becomes even more so as they get older. i would love to just keep them at their present ages until i can get this all figured out but i am smart enough to know there is no way i can make that happen.

any advice? bring it!

new house

2011-01-09T15:28:00.002-06:00

as i sit in my new house with it completely silent (except for the fan running - it is quiet/rest time here) i am feeling so much gratitude for the blessing of this house. it is the home we plan on raising our children in, having them bring friends home to, hosting crazy parties with nuts-o teenagers because we will be the place everyone wants to be, but most importantly it is a home that reunited my family under one roof again. i never would have thought i would be raising my family in my hometown. i was willing to go wherever the Lord took me never thinking he would bring me back home. my children will go to a high school that was my high school's rival, they attend church in the same building i did as a child and they will get to have extended family close by. what a blessing we have been given! just had to put in words my feelings this day.

here's christmas

2011-01-05T19:38:00.002-06:00

i will apologize upfront for the large number of pictures but here is all of our christmas celebrations this year...

christmas eve - dad and jason's side
christmas morning - santa came and gave a family gift of going to see Disney on Ice this month
christmas day - off to mom's for christmas dinner and presents
crazy times but wonderful memories, loved getting to see jason's parents, brother and my parents during the holiday festivities, but missed the fam that was still out west

hope your holidays were as blessed with family times as our's were

the camera cord and the computer still don't care for each other so i am now at the mercy of pictures cds being made...keep forgetting to get them made - maybe i should just get a new camera - doubt that happens anytime soon though!

Christmas is coming once the camera cord likes the computer again...

2010-12-31T11:03:00.000-06:00

hang tight!

getting settled

2010-12-22T22:22:00.002-06:00

life has been like a tornado over the past 5 days...finishing packing, moving, shuffling kids around as we unpacked, having jason's mom here to help unpack before christmas, UNPACKING and feeling like the boxes multiplied in transit because there is no way we had all this stuff at the last house - wait we didn't, we had a storage unit, christmas with the slopsema side, christmas program at swee's old preschool, seing santa, making peppermint bark with grandma pat, lil man learning he can climb up and into the dryer - trying to get swee's clean undies out - dragging blankie around the house like he's linus, and saying goodbye to some great friends. wow, can't believe that was all crammed into such a short period of time.

please cut me some slack if i didn't get a christmas card to you this year - i promise to do better next year!

i don't advise doing it...

2010-12-15T19:00:00.003-06:00

owning TWO homes that is. as of 1:30 p.m. today we are the proud or crazy, i haven't decided which yet, owner of two homes. we are relieved that all went well on the first closing because even as i was driving there today it didn't look very promising. the gas had been turned off in the house since august and it has been below - way below- freezing around this part of the world. the gas was to be turned on tomorrow but we changes it to today to make sure the furnace worked and the pipes hadn't frozen. as i was heading north my realtor called to ask if the gas company had arrived yet so the gentleman could go and un-winterize the house but he wouldn't turn the water on until the furnace was up and working. i was supposed to do a walk through on the house before closing but the thermostat had to be replaced and so the furnace and de-winterizing wouldn't be completed before our scheduled closing time. so we closed on the house before we knew the furnace worked and there weren't any leaks. as it was jason found a pipe leaking in the basement but the contractor was willing to come back and fix it. the furnace did work so when we took some items over to the house it was 45 degrees in the house - very brisk but we got a brand new thermostat out of the deal. we are so glad to have this finished today! now just two more nights in the old house and no more day trips up north for me! YEAH!

also while in i was up north i:

-took swee to meet his new preschool teachers and to see his new school

-took priss to see her new school, get a tour of it, and for her to be assigned to a class

-picked up christmas items that had been shipped there to lessen the number that would need to be transported during the move

-ordered cupcakes to take to priss's school on friday as a good bye gesture to her class and teacher

crazy day but so productive!

doubt crept in...

2010-12-10T19:59:00.002-06:00

and trust rushed it out. over the past week we have had the privilege of having extreme highs and equally extreme lows. we found out the house we are selling is closing 2 weeks earlier than expected and the one we are buying, no closing date in sight. causing us to be close to being HOMELESS. it was our understanding that we would be closing dec. 15th on our new home and the 29th on our old home. this apple cart was completely overturned when the dates switched. after spending what has felt like millions of minutes on the phone, forgetting about the house and at times what is going on around me, i as of today have a tentative closing date of the 15th at 1 p.m. this is following a phone call to the loan processor, the timeshare company (that has caused all the issues because of incorrect information provided by them to the mortgage company) and then a credit bureau that i believe is located in cali. i am now a completely ANNOYING client with more people than i care to admit. so much so that we are certain that our name will get around and no one will want to deal with us in the future. i have decided that i am never moving again and that my grandchildren one day will visit me in the home we have purchased/are purchasing.

thanks to a lot of prayer and realizing just how capable heavenly father is the doubt left and the trust moved right back in where it was always lingering in the shadows.

our life in a nutshell 15 days before christmas this year!

thanksgiving weekend

2010-11-29T19:24:00.002-06:00

we hosted a thanksgiving breakfast for both sides of the family. we had tons of food and lots of fun visiting. and were very grateful that both jason and priss were feeling much better after having had the flu on wednesday. we attended my aunt lana's thanksgiving dinner and it was one of the best. lots of great food and even more great company. friday found us at our yearly haunt of picture people getting our slopsema family pictures taken. they turned out so good! saturday was the day to get our tree. jason's dad left after we got back from picking out our tree. we got the tree put up and i went to put the lights on since i am very picky about how i want them done. as i was putting the lights on i realized that out of the 5 strands i had only 1 worked. i raced off to good ole wally world to pick up 4 new boxes. thankfully those 4 boxes worked and the tree had lights. we had decided that this house's tree would only have lights and candy canes on it and the tree at the new house would have ornaments on it. the christmas tree nazi said so...aka priss. sunday found both priss and lil man sick. jason's mom as of today has the stomach flu. swee and i are keeping our fingers crossed that we don't get it.

we have begun packing and it is quite strange to see all our things in boxes. 15 days until we get possession of the new house and 30 days until we close on this house.

got the tree - check

2010-11-29T19:17:00.003-06:00

saturday we headed out to the christmas tree farm with jason's parents in tow. they were troopers and we managed to find the perfect tree for us this year in record time. we had them all prepared to be hiking up and down the hills for hours on end and we found it in under 45 minutes. the older two helped cut the tree down and yelled "timber" as it fell.

without making you wait any longer....here is the tree...

that time of year

2010-11-22T19:47:00.004-06:00

Usually by now I have already chosen my Christmas cards and have them ready to mail but not this year. I even had considered with our upcoming move just not to send any then as I was looking at Shutterfly's website I found so many cards that I fell in love with. How could I not send out Christmas cards this year when all I have to do is find a picture I like and they will do all the rest? They will even address and mail them for me. With the upcoming move this will turn out to be a great blessing for me. Also this way I won't feel guilty for not sending out cards when I am receiving ones from friends and family who probably used shutterfly to make theirs. So I have changed my mind and will be sending out Christmas cards this year...thanks Shutterfly for the inspiration!

Why don't you head on over to Shutterfly to find your Christmas cards this year.

50 free christmas cards

2010-11-21T15:42:00.002-06:00

okay, so as I was reading a blog that I follow they had a post about shutterfly
giving away 50 free christmas cards if you blog about the offer. so here I am blogging about shutterfly and their offer for 50 free christmas cards. from what I can tell you fill out a form and they will send the required link or promotional code to you so you can get the cards. it is worth a try. good luck!

continuation...

2010-11-21T15:11:00.002-06:00

well, as of Friday, November 19th @ 11:36 a.m. WE SOLD OUR HOUSE! yes, in under a week's time a home was purchased and a home was sold! we are speechless about both! it was an amazing, stressful, trust developing, faith executing and family bonding time...all thanks to a mindful Heavenly Father. we are so blessed and have felt so much love this past week that we can't express it to the fullest.

this holiday season finds the slopsema family with a lot to be THANKFUL for.

where to begin?

2010-11-17T09:21:00.004-06:00

how about three months ago when Jason took a new job that would have us relocating closer to my family. we were very excited to have the kids closer to some grandparents and to have him use his degree as an AD/Asst. Principal. the week following him accepting the job we listed our house and began the search for a new home. we have had some lookers over the past three but most people have chosen a different home. due to not getting any offers we decided that we would just rent ours out if it didn't sell before we found a new home. fast forward to last monday when we put an offer on a home and started the bidding war. the home was everything we wanted but never thought we could afford this time around but we gave it a try. we put an offer in and they countered back better than we could have asked for. we countered back and hope that they would counter back at a particular figure. without either Jason or I knowing we had decided independently that if they countered back at said figure we would take the offer. AMAZINGLY they countered back at what we had hoped so we TOOK IT! last friday we purchased our new home not knowing HOW the Lord would take care of us but KNOWING that he would. now this monday I spoke to our listing agent because our house had been shown over the weekend and I couldn't wait to hear how it went. the gentleman who looked at it liked it the best. we decided to entice him to choose our home by dropping the price for him alone for this week only. he bit and looked at it again on monday evening. yesterday evening we received an offer...very low offer so we countered back and are eagerly awaiting to see what he does with our offer. our realtor and his say that he really wants the house but wants to play the bidding game. we will see how Heavenly Father works this out and in the meantime we will just begin packing since we are moving a week before christmas.

moral of this post:

trust in the Lord and he will never fail you in your time of need

oh, here is a picture of our new HOME

View Larger Map

lots of pictures and a little commenting

2010-10-31T15:13:00.003-05:00

what a gonglomerate of pictures...huh! we have been busy and enjoying a lot of time with Jason home over the past couple of days. they have been packed full and thankfully we have been on the ball enough to take the camera with us. the highlight would have to be the older two learning to ride their bikes all on their own from stopping to starting theirselves and everything else in between. Priss took her training wheels off all by herself and then took Swee's off to. they are so proud of theirselves and can't wait to take a bike ride as a family of "two wheel bike riders".

First Steps

2010-10-18T13:52:00.002-05:00

bathtime

2010-10-14T20:35:00.002-05:00

he is completely CRAZY during bathtime. i am just waiting for him to hurt himself while he is splashing up a storm.

game night and oreos

2010-10-14T20:16:00.003-05:00

the older two and i played games and had treats. it was a lot of fun and i enjoyed getting to do something simple with them and to listen as they talked to each other. yittle enjoyed a few of the mini oreos while watching the boardgame action. he is wondering if finners wants to join his dsl team, he thinks they can take the manning brothers!

I think he might grow up to be a fireman

2010-10-11T11:52:00.002-05:00

Yittle (our new nickname for the youngest Slopsema in the house) and I went on Swee field trip to the fire station this morning. It was a perfect morning to walk to the local fire station. Swee was so excited that he got to do a field trip that Priss did when she was in preschool. He got to hold the hose and fight a pretend fire, sit in the fire engine, watch a movie about the fire station, and he got a fireman's hat. And he was full of questions and comments whenever the fireman giving the tour gave him a hint of attention. He even knew to call 911 for any type of emergency. I guess he has been listening when we have been talking about things around the house...what else has he heard:)!?

Pumpkin Patch and No Extra Batteries

2010-10-10T19:10:00.005-05:00

The kids had a blast at the pumpkin patch. Lil Man seemed to enjoy the experience more than last year when he was only a few weeks old. Swee and Priss each rode the ponies again this year but I only was able to capture Swee because they were allowed one lap around the arena and Priss was off before I snapped a picture. As we went on the trolley to the pumpkin patch the camera battery began to die. I babied it so that I could capture a few pictures but I was unable to take as many as I would have liked. But it is what it is! Memories from the pumpkin patch 2010.

A Very Good Friend

2010-10-05T15:29:00.002-05:00

As the kids and I were driving to see Jason this past weekend I was talking with my Mom and she said...you will never guess who just walked through my backdoor...he is tall, dark and handsome. I wasn't sure who to guess but when she told me our neighbor who had moved away I said don't let him leave I will be there in 10 minutes. It was so good to see Tristan. I really enjoyed getting to visit with him and only wish my sister could have been there too.

Harvesting Supervisor

2010-10-05T15:23:00.003-05:00

Swee supervised the harvesting of the soy beans this year. He took a lawn chair out into the yard so he could have a front row seat to watch the combine harvest the beans. It was so cute to see him watching so intently as the combine drove past our house and then turned around to make another pass.

Zoo Trip

2010-10-05T15:12:00.005-05:00

learning the difference between a cheetah and a lion

I got the wonderful opportunity, thanks to Jason's mom, to accompany Priss on her field trip to the zoo. It had been about 5 years since I had been so it was exciting to go back especially with the new cheetah exhibit. I had a group of 4 girls and they sure were spunky! They wanted to see everything and were starving the entire time we were there which was only about an hour and a half. We did have enough time to see the cheetahs, the dolphin show, the meekats, the polar bears, the seals, the lions, the baboons (the youngest baboon shares a birthday with our Lil Man), and we saw the giraffes (which Priss had done a research paper on). The teacher instructed us that each of us needed to learn 5 new things while at the zoo. We read a lot of signs and enjoyed the zoo not being very busy and the weather was perfect. I think the boys would enjoy going, especially since we have never taken them. That will have to be on our to do list for next summer - for sure.

Typical Morning

2010-09-22T12:56:00.003-05:00

A typical morning here finds the two older kids getting ready for school. This morning we were ahead of schedule so they had time to make some creations with Swee's snap blocks. They were very excited when I said I would take pictures to post on the blog. So without much ado, here they are...

And the Lil Man is usually hanging out in his highchair...which he loves to sit in and eat snacks!

Disappointed

2010-09-16T14:54:00.003-05:00

To say the least this is what I am. Since having had the house on the market we have shown it a couple of times and last week I guess the showing went really well. The people who looked really liked it but decided to put an offer on a home identical to ours just more money...and one they couldn't afford. I have been waiting all week to find out if they were able to make a deal on the other home hoping that they didn't and would then be making an offer on ours. In my mind the timing would have been perfect since we are looking at home once again and really, really, REALLY want to find one. Well, back to the point...they made an offer on a completely different home, a foreclosure, and they got it. Yeah for them. BOOO for us. Back to showing the house and doing my best to keep it as clean as possible with 3 kids running around. I know it will happen when it is supposed to...just practicing that patience I have learned,ONCE AGAIN!

we PARTIED like it was his birthday

2010-09-12T21:06:00.003-05:00

Lil Man finally had his first birthday party this past weekend. He loved the cake and seemed to literally dive head first into it. He even complained when we tried to wipe his hands off and clean the new highchair off...he wanted every last bit of his Concannon's cupcake. We had a very small celebration but it was filled with excitement and tons of love. He really enjoyed the gifts he received and the older two were very good to help him open his presents. It is hard to believe he is one but he truly is TONS of FUN!

These Shoes Are Made for Walkin'

2010-09-12T21:02:00.002-05:00

Priss participated in her school's second annual walkathon on Friday. This is her school's only fundraiser for the year and last year it brought in $40,000. She had set a goal of reaching the highest prize level and THANKS to some AWESOME family members and friends she made her goal and then some. We appreciate everyone's generosity this year in helping her make her goal!

Off He Went to Preschool

2010-09-08T08:46:00.003-05:00

Swee was up and ready about 2 hours before he needed to be. He was so excited to go to school like Sis Girl. His backpack was packed about 3 weeks ago. His outfit was picked out and shoes were laid out last night.

We even took time to snap some pictures before we dropped him off at school. Sis Girl went to school late so that she could go with us to take Swee to school. I thought it was important for her to be there since Jason is gone and unable to be there. Grandma Pat also was there to wish him a great first day of preschool which was something extra special. Swee raced right in and kissed us good bye and he was off...didn't look back once! It was a little harder dropping him off today because I am so used to having him around while Sis is at school. Now it's just Lil Man and me.

ONE Year Really!?

2010-09-04T19:36:00.004-05:00

It truly doesn't seem that long ago that we added a tremendously, wonderful addition to our family of four. I can scarcely remember what it was like to be a family with an even number. HE is a pure delight and pleasure to have as a part of our eternal family and we thank Heavenly Father daily for the three amazing spirits that we have been blessed with here on Earth.

Let me tell you for a minute about our Lil Man aka Too, Thatchie Drew, Tooney...he giggles like no child I have ever encountered when he sees his Sis Girl and Swee Man. His eyes truly twinkle when he is happy, WHICH IS ALL THE TIME! He is a human vacuum cleaner, if it is on the floor it is making its way to his mouth. He eats anything you give him so we are careful with what we feed him knowing two sets of eyes are watching and waiting to help us feed him. Tooney is practically bald if you don't look closely but if you do you see a TON of toe-head blond hair all over the place. He now has 5 teeth and knows how to use them. He likes his whole milk warm NOT cold. I just learned this yesterday! And he gabbers all the time and loves to yell at the top of his lungs to get a reaction of out you, which makes him giggle.

If you can't tell our house is still completely SMITTEN with him!

Surprise!

2010-08-30T08:54:00.003-05:00

While taking care of my Mom this weekend she surprised me with my favorite cupcakes from the local bakery. She had the kids sing Happy Birthday to me. Since Jason is living with her now he won't be home for my birthday this year so to ensure that I got sung to she did it this weekend. The kids thought it was great singing to me...they kept calling it my pretend birthday.

He is Mr. Personality

2010-08-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

Swee wanted to take tap lessons like Priss so I signed him up this fall. He is adorable and so excited about having tap shoes. Jason made me promise that next spring I would sign him up for baseball and I promised. I can't wait to see Swee on stage at the recital next spring.

It's Official

2010-08-24T14:41:00.002-05:00

We are selling our house and moving north about 1 1/2 hours to make Jason's commute shorter to his new job. Now if the house will just sell quickly! Any takers?

Off She Went

2010-08-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

Priss was up and dressed before I even made it out of bed this morning. She was so excited for school to start. We had found out last week who her teacher was so armed with that information she was ready to tackle the day. It is a struggle for me this year to think that she is in SECOND grade. Kindergarten and first didn't bother me but for some reason second is. She was excited and that made it all better.

She posed for the required pictures and then the boys and I loaded up the car with her and were off. As we walked into the school and down the hallway towards her classroom we couldn't walk more than 10 feet without a teacher saying Hi to her and commenting on a change they noticed in her. She just beamed and I could tell that she was so happy to be back in school and ready to face the challenges that it will hold this year. I am very grateful to know that so many adults know who she is especially when she is 1 in 1100 at her school.

Tap and Jazz

2010-08-16T20:47:00.003-05:00

waiting for hip hop class to begin

Another year of tap only difference is that we are doing competitive tap this year. She is so excited to be in this tap class. Along with tap we are trying jazz/hip hop this year. She happens to have friends in each class and really seemed to enjoy the jazz class. So hard to believe that it is this time of year again.

learning a new step

Learning to Knit

2010-08-16T20:42:00.003-05:00

As I watched my Prissy Girl with her Grandma Pat learning to knit I was reminded of the many times that I knitted with my Aunties. I knit several blankets and scarves through the years and Priss's great-great Aunt Marguerite knit her a blanket when she was a baby. It is one of the softest blankets I have ever felt. She is so excited to learn to knit and even learned to cast on, a skill I never acquired. I can't wait to watch her knit more items throughout the years.

Moving on UP

2010-08-11T10:53:00.002-05:00

Yes, we will be moving hopefully within the next month or worse months. Jason accepted a new position about an hour north of where we currently are living so we plan on moving closer to lessen his commute. He is very excited about the new challenges that the job will bring. As of the 25th of August he will be an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director of a Jr./Sr. High School. We have been praying 2 years for this job and it finally has come to pass. The Lord truly has heard our prayers and has answered with a miracle. We feel it is a miracle because as of this past Monday he started back at Batesville and is teaching his students today. We never would have thought he would be offered a different job the night of his first day back to work but the Lord works in ways that we don't always understand. This job will place us back closer to my family which is a blessing that will allow me to be of more service to my Mother as she recovers from her hip replacement surgery. NOW we just need to get our house sold. Anyone know someone who wants to move to southeastern Indiana? We know that the Lord will bless us in this endeavor too! Now we just get to practice all that patience that we have learned to have.

Priss's Weekend

2010-08-11T10:41:00.002-05:00

Priss wanted to have an Ariel cake with icing that looked like water. We did the traditional birthday cake with additional icing that she colored blue. It turned out a lot better than I would have thought. She was elated and that was what made it wonderful!

We had several family members come and a couple of friends. Thanks to Jason's Aunt Sandy Ggma and Ggpa were able to be at the party. Birthday phone calls were received during the party and in the day following. Thanks family for being a part of the party no matter how far away you were!

Our beautiful girl inside and out!

Our family before heading in to church on Sis Girl's birthday. She is already planning her baptism next year. Can't keep her in the now very well...guess that's because she is very much an A type personality just like her Mom.

Happy Birthday Prissy Girl!

July and the first week of August in Review

2010-08-05T20:19:00.005-05:00

Well we have been...

being fed by big brothers

washing dishes together without being asked

going boating and swimming at Raccoon Lake with Aunt Jan

getting our hair cut and our ears pierced

having a sleepover in our backyard

What about you?

Hard to believe he's mine

2010-07-18T20:13:00.002-05:00

priss and swee both have my eye color and so it is still so strange to me that I have a blue eyed boy. but he is mommy's blue eyed boy for SURE!

County Fair

2010-07-18T20:09:00.002-05:00

The kids earned a free ride ticket for completing a reading level for the summer reading program. They were so excited to ride the ferris wheel with Jason. It went so high that I couldn't get a good picture of the three of them on it. I did capture their excitement as they rode a roller coaster. It was a very nice night and they seemed to really enjoy their selves. Lil Man also was so good sitting in the stroller just watching people walk past him.

Makeover Time at the Sloppys

2010-07-18T20:03:00.003-05:00

the kids, rather Priss and Swee, got into Priss's make-up bag and put it on each other...eyeshadow, blush & colored chapstick. after applying it on each other they decided that Lil Man needed to be involved too. he weathered it very well!

First Top

2010-07-18T20:00:00.002-05:00

Mad but showing off his newest addition in the tooth department! (7/9)

As of today his other one is rearing its ugly head.

Tractor Pull

2010-07-18T19:56:00.002-05:00

During the county fair Swee and Priss participated in the pedal tractor pull. Swee pulled 13 feet 3 inches and took home third place. He got beat out of second by 1 inch. Priss pulled 36 feet 4 inches. She had a couple of boys in her weight class that pulled over 120 feet. That being said she didn't place and was devastated and swore off ever competing in a pedal tractor pull again. By the time we left she was wanting to do it again next year!

Sharing a Room

2010-07-18T19:50:00.002-05:00

Priss got moved into Swee's bedroom since he had the larger room. It is about time for Lil Man to move out of his parents' room. Jason and I decided to have the oldest two share since the Lil Man is still a little too small for them to be trusted to leave him alone all the time. So far so good on the older two sharing a room. Swee loves his big bed and can't wait to pick out some new bedding. Priss doesn't seem to mind sharing until it comes time to play quietly in her/their bedroom. Swee wants to do whatever she is doing and it annoys her from time to time.

Swimming & Fireflies

2010-07-18T17:31:00.005-05:00

Thanks to some good friends the kids have been swimming a couple of times this summer when we have been home.

We have also been enjoying the summer nights catching fireflies or lightning bugs, whatever you call them.

waffle lover

2010-07-08T09:09:00.004-05:00

we are grooming another slopsema kid to be a waffle lover...he was pretty easy. he literally jumped head first into one the other day at dinner.

4th of July and smores

2010-07-07T20:54:00.003-05:00

as we did our sparklers we ate smores and they were delicious!

2nd top

2010-07-07T20:52:00.001-05:00

while in Chi-town we went here

2010-07-07T20:42:00.002-05:00

about a week and a half ago Jason and I went to the Louisville temple and Priss was upset that she didn't get to go so we promised when we went to Chicago that we would go to the temple as a family. as we began our drive to the temple the kids began singing I love to the see the temple and when we pulled into the parking lot the feeling was amazing. Priss was grinning from ear to ear and Swee was so excited to see Moroni on top of the temple spire. we told the kids that we would take some pictures outside first and then we would take them inside to the waiting room. it experience was one that I will never forget and can't wait to visit more temples with my family. this temple held so many memories ...youth temple trips, Erica and Matt's wedding, Jason's mom being sealed to her parents and so many others. it was so neat to be able to share these moments with my children.

Still Didn't Sing

2010-07-07T20:34:00.002-05:00

once again we were unable to sing Go Cubs Go at the conclusion of our yearly venture to Wrigley Field. it was close and we even were treated to an extra inning this time but in the 10th inning the Reds scored 1 run and the Cubs couldn't do the same. oh well, we truly enjoyed the day - perfect for baseball. the kids loved riding the L and getting to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. the lil man was amazing...he fell asleep on the L in the sling, snacked like the big kids at the game, and rooted on the Cubs! Priss and Swee are already talking about next year's trip. i love traditions!

Happy Days

2010-06-25T09:27:00.003-05:00

Last week we celebrated my Mom's birthday and Father's Day. It was odd to be the only ones around for both holidays since last year Valeri and Finn were here from Utah and Erica and her crew were still living here. The kids enjoyed getting to sing Happy Birthday and help Honey blow her candles out. Priss wanted to put one on for each year but we discussed how we wanted to be able to eat the cake once the candles were blown out instead of watching the cake melt. For Father's Day the kids made Jason breakfast in bed...homemade french toast which is his specialty. The day was a laid back one just at home the five of us but it gave us a lot of time to reflect on the wonderful men who are a part of our lives and our children's...Grandpa David, Grandpa Ed, Ggpa, Uncle B, Uncle Morgan, Uncle Matt. We truly have been blessed to have men who exemplify wonderful qualities that we can strive to emulate.

a.t.,y.m.c.a., f.p.,f.m., e.r., b.h., m., & etc.

2010-06-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

Where to begin...ummm, how about with Jason and his dad hiking part of the Appalachian Trail last Thursday and Friday. The plan was for them to hike Thursday, Friday and be picked up at a predetermined location on Saturday. After dropping them off at the trail head and snapping a few pictures so that we would have a recent photo in case they went missing (good thinking on my part I KNOW) Pat, the kids and I headed back to their house before some swimming at the local YMCA. Almost as soon as the kids were drenched in the pool the lifeguard blow the whistle to signal that the pool was closing due to lightning. Here's the kicker, the pool was indoors! I have never had an indoor pool close due to the weather outside but it did so we ventured home. That evening it was off to the Fiddlin' Pig for the required bbq and bluegrass. This place is a must to eat at on each of our visits to Asheville. The next morning we headed off to the Farmers Market to see the local wares. Oh my...it was huge and you could find practically anything you wanted. Swee wanted honey sticks with the money I gave him to spend and Priss wanted a necklace she saw but she was a little short on cash so she settled for a gumball. We ended up finding out that Swee loves watermelon, in fact, each stand we walked past that had a watermelon cut open with a knife sticking out of it so you could sample it...he was sampling! After dragging the kids to all the vendors we ended up with a gallon of strawberries, a gallon of peaches, green peppers, squash, 2 cantaloupes, a watermelon, and 5 lb of onions. Just as we were preparing to get the fruits and veggies washed and put away the home phone rang. Jason's mom answered it and her side of the conversation went something like this..."you need picked up in about 30-45 minutes, at the Home Depot, I thought you were going to be picked up tomorrow? Why are you done early? We will hear the story in a little bit. Okay. " She gets off the phone and says to me the guys need picked up in about 30 minutes at the Home Depot by 40. She gives me directions and I head out as she is saying "I guess they hiked pretty fast and got in done in a day and a half. Did I fail to mention that they were planning on hiking a total of 23 miles? Well, that was the plan. When I finally got to them Jason comes walking over to the car carrying both backpacks and has a huge smirk on his face. He then quickly whispers..."Dad couldn't make it." As they get into the car an older gentleman comes to my side of the car and says that they packed way too much JUNK! During the ride back the entire story is revealed. They did okay the first afternoon but Jason's dad had to stop after about 30-40 yards to catch his breath. We later found out that due to his heart medicine (which ensures that his heart rate doesn't sky rocket) he struggled to catch his breath and to have adequate oxygen in his blood. They were full of laughs as they described pulling out the griddle they took to make their pancakes while the other hikers feasted on protein bars, oatmeal or some other dehydrated food.
That evening continued on with the fun. After dinner Priss began complaining that her ear hurt and so we went to lay down. The day before she had shown me a bite on her right forearm that she said itched. Nothing more was said following the initial talk of the bite, well, after she laid down for a while I went in to check on her and thought that her face looked swollen on the right side. After conferring with Jason and his mother we decided to have to seen by a physician. All the immediate med centers were closed by this time so we headed out to the ER in Asheville. After about 4 hours there Priss left with a bandage on her forearm, a 50 gauge needle hole, two rounds of numbing gel being applied, and no knowledge as to what bit her. The ER physician who must have missed all the required bedside manners classes informed us he thought it looked like MRSA so he would need to try to extract some pus from the said bite area. NO PUS was found just orders to return in 2 days. This about set Jason over the edge...he responded do we schedule an appointment with you or just try our lucky with the doctor on call! The bite got better but not due to what the doctor did just simply from time passing.
Since we had went to the Fiddlin' Pig without Jason and Ed we returned there Saturday night for some more bbq, cloggers and square dancing. Sunday after church we went hiking and soon found out that Priss's definition of hiking is locating the trail marker for the A.T. We actually hiked part of the Appalachian Trail with all three kids (Max Patch). They had a blast and want to return next yeat when they can hike more of it.
While in Asheville...
Jason's mom managed to burn her hard severely on the iron as she was filling it with water while we were there visiting. Swee took a few too many tumbles down the driveway that he made into a race track for his big wheel that grandma bought. He now is sporting the largest band aids made on is elbow from some GOOD road rash. Lil Man managed to pull a statue over onto his head and I had my first migraine in about 18 months. So no one was left out of the bruised and battered group in Asheville. :)

What a trip and Jason and Ed are planning a return trip to hike the A.T. trail next year with less JUNK!

2010-06-15T16:43:00.003-05:00

Pictures are out of order but still enjoy them please!

Up on All

2010-06-04T09:13:00.002-05:00

Fours...but not going anywhere. He did manage to move a leg but couldn't figure out how to coordinate the arms and legs. It will be very soon and I am not ready for another mobile child!

School's Out for the SUMMER

2010-06-04T08:51:00.007-05:00

At least for Priss it is...Jason had to go back in today due to missing yesterday for a job interview! I think she has a great day. She had written a note to every classmate and was allowed to delivery them yesterday along with her gift for her teacher.

The kids had a surprise yesterday afternoon..Uncle B came down for a visit since he was in for the race last weekend. Both Swee and Priss were so excited to see him. The last time we saw him it was at Christmas. Anyhow, he went with us to pick Priss up from school. Swee and him went up to sign her out and she was full of smiles when they got back to the car. Earlier in the week when he called to say he wanted to come for a visit Jason and I decided to leave it a secret in case he had to leave early for work. The kids were pretty disappointed when we fibbed to them that he had to leave on work and wouldn't be coming for a visit.

To celebrate the end of school we had an End of School Party. Priss planned it! She wanted a chocolate cake with white icing, pizza, plates, napkins, signs, everyone was to wear good clothes and it was to begin at 5:30. A list was even created to make sure that all the required items were accounted for. Uncle B joined us in the party and Priss even

came up with a song to sing...Happy end of first grade to you, happy end of first grade to you, happy end of first grade dear Priss, happy end of first grade to you! It was so fun much and the kids loved every minute of it that I think we just created a new Slopsema Tradition. For the time being it will just involve us but I know the time will come when we will venture out to invite others!

Honor's Program

2010-06-02T14:14:00.005-05:00

Mrs. J. Meyer and Priss

Priss had her Honor's Program yesterday afternoon. The boys and I went along with Honey and Grandpa David. Priss was surprised to see us...a letter had come in the mail last week but it asked that nothing be said to the kids so that they would be surprised on the spot. She received a Hall of Fame Reader award (she had to red 100 books) along with being on the A/B Honor Roll. This year challenged her and she rose to the occasion. We are amazed at the student that she already is and the desire to do better that is innate.

High 80s all WEEK

2010-05-25T15:18:00.002-05:00

The boys and I have loved the beautiful weather the past couple of days and the weather man states they should continue through the weekend. WOOO HOOO! I am so excited for the warm, sunny days of summer to be here permanently. We enjoy doing so much outside that we can't wait for Priss and Jason to be out of school for the summer.

I got a new toy

2010-05-25T15:17:00.002-05:00

Recital

2010-05-17T20:23:00.002-05:00

so proud of his sis girl

the only family picture we ended up with that night

grandma pat and grandpa ed

honey and john

dressed and ready

Once again the month of May found us attending Priss's tap recital. She was great and really enjoyed her third year of tap. Each year the outfit gets cuter! We reused the hair piece purchased her first year this year and it made doing her hair so much simpler. I would recommend them to anyone. Anyways, many family members took time from their busy schedules to come and see her tap, and it meant a lot to her. We did miss many family members that due to many different reasons were unable to be here this year. Missed you! I really can't wait to see what next fall holds - tap & jazz or tap & hip hop! Who knows what she will end up deciding to do...we are considering a competitive tap dance class but we still have a couple of months before we have to have a decision made.

Sleeping on the Job

2010-05-17T20:20:00.002-05:00

He struggled staying awake in the time between soccer games on Saturday. I tried to keep him from nagging so I took him out to swing and this was the result of the swinging. Isn't it precious?!

DONE

2010-05-17T20:16:00.003-05:00

Saturday held two soccer games for us, which completed the spring soccer season. The kids had so much fun and we completely enjoyed watching the two of them play together. They are already talking about Jason coaching them in the fall and how long will it be until fall soccer season begins. Too cute! In the last two games Priss scored several goal and Swee was the star goalie preventing their opponent from scoring twice. Yeah!