Clancy and I have decided it would be best for us to move our bedroom downstairs. It would be nicer for our guests to be upstairs and most of all to give the kids their seperate rooms. They seem to not want to go to bed when they are in the same room. So, last night was the first night.
Clancy comes home for lunch and this is how the conversation goes:

Clancy: Hey Honey... I have a good a idea

Erin: Yes??

Clancy: I think "WE" should start sleeping downstairs.

Erin: What do you mean?? I have been moving furniture all day to get us down here.

Clancy: No, I think "WE" should start sleeping downstairs..

Erin: Oh.. Do you even want to hear about my night last night??

Clancy: Silence:)

Erin: First off the dog woke me up at 1:00 to go outside after she had already done her business on the floor. Ok whatever... So, since I am already upstairs I might as well take Cam to the bathroom so I don't have to wake him up in another hour. Thinking I might get to sleep the rest of the night. Oh no... Bailey strats crying at 2:30. I go upstairs again and let her know I am right there and she is ok. Well, I figured this was going to happen again so I just decided instead of going up and down the stairs I would just sleep up there. Sure enough about 2 hrs later Cam comes crawling into bed with me. About an hour after that here comes Bailey and now I am sandwiched in between two kids. Can I sleep any better.. NO.
So honey, I think your suggestion is great. Would you like to deal with the kids and the dog tonight??:)

Clancy: Ok Dear

I Remember When...

Lately, I have really been missing my Grandma Fern. She passed almost a year ago. I can't say that I have ever missed someone so much. She was one grand lady that left a mark on me.

Don't really know why it has hit me so much lately. I think it is the smells of late summer and harvesting the crops and canning. She was always there for all of it. Picking weeds in the garden, snapping beans, canning tomatoes and on and on. As I have a lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face I want to share some of my favorite memories I had with Grandma Fern.

I Rember When:

I would sit next to Grandma in her cozy recliner and she would teach me how to knit.

I also remember knitting some on my own and having to take the 'mess' to her to get it fixed!

I remeber doing plastic canvas projects until we ran out of patterns..

I remember sitting around Grandmas big table and eating the most delicious meals one would ever taste. (My mom has this table now, and I feel the same about her).

I remember sitting next to Grandma in church and hearing her sing. It was not the way she sounded, but the passion in her voice that she sang with.

I remember going with Grandma to visit Grandma Sadie in the rest home. We went almost every Sunday after church. Even when I learned to drive she was brave enough to let me drive her car there. Can you believe I still hung out with my Grandma when I was 16?? I just loved being with her.

I remember eating Grandmas tasty cinnamon apple dumplings! And her cinnamon pickles!!

I remember having Cam and she was one of the first visiters. I still remember her holding him for the first time.

I remember having Bailey and I think she was the first one there.

I remember her helping me out so much when we came home. I think she knew the trials of having an infant and well another infant. I don't think Cam was a toddler yet.

She prepared meals, did laundry and was just there.

I remember when she always called Bailey her Sugar Babe. She just seemed to have a special bond with her.

I remember Grandma at all the special occasions. All the holidays, everyones birthday. I don't think she ever missed one! I don't think she ever missed a Sunday in church either unless she was really ill. I admire her for that!

I remember getting the call the Grandma was not doing so good. My heart sank.

I got many treasures from Grandmas house, but the thing I treasure the most is her Bible. It is hard to find a page that is not marked on. There is a card in there that she wrote this verse on. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." She stived for this and is was such an example to me.

I can't wait until the day I get to see her again.. I am going to give the biggest hug I have ever given!!!

EWWWW A SNAKE!!

Clancy loves to bring treasures home for the kids after his hunting trips. So far he has brought them a huge cricket and now a snake!! The kids love it!! I on the other hand would rather he just let them live their peaceful lives in the woods.. A 3 and a 4 yr old can really traumatize an animal. Yes, even the puppies at times!
At one point Bailey came up behind me with the snake in hand. I didn't know she was there and I screamed. I took off running and she proceeded to chase me around the driveway for quite some time. They think it is pretty funny that mommy is scared of snakes:)

Is this tomato plant on steroids?

This is the biggest tomato plant I have ever seen!
The sad thing is it has not given off much fruit.
I think it is putting all its energy into the vine.

More Puppies

Nothing like being waited on 'hand and foot'

Oh my goodness!
So cute

Here is a face for you Dani

Sad looking mama

Cam is stashing a puupy in the blanket
couch time
So little

she could sit for hours with a puppy
So happy to have babies in the house

We Miss You Too Dani!!

Hi Papa Dan...

Puppies!! Puppies!! Puppies!!

Our Sadie dog finally gave burth to 5 beautiful puppies Sept. 10th. They are so cute!! It was such an amazing thing to watch. The kids enjoyed it to and were so excited the puppies finally came. I think they were beginning to think I was full of it telling them Sadie was going to have babies.
I dcided to go to th gym the day they were due. Silly me!! Everying said they would come the exact day they were due. Luckily Clancy got an early lunch that day and came home to find she was birthing them on the couch! YUCK! So, he moved her to the box and frantically called me to get home right away! He saw two more be born and we thought she was done. The vet predicted she only had 3. Surprise about 15 min later she had 2 more.
All was well until I thought she was rejecting one of her babies. Well, she was just trying to move them first to my bed and then to the couch. I wish I would have gotten a video of it, but she woudl pick them up one by one and jump onto the couch with them. Puppies screaming the whole time. It was a long couple nights for all of us. Now she is happy keeping them in the kennel after some stearness from me. I was not about to let her raise these babies on the couch!!
Now if I could just keep the kids from getting in the cage all the time we would be doing really good. Bailey is such a little mama. I found the puppies wrapped in a blanket, in her baby high chair and in her arms getting patted, rocked and lots of tlc. Sadie will actually let Bailey watch over her babies for her!!When Cam gets near it is a totally different story!


Watching all the action
You can still see the cord on the black/wet one
Did not take them long to figure out how to nurse

Bribes

Ok, so I don't beleive in bribing my children to get them to do things. Altough, I catch myself doing it a lot. I have decided that I would bribe Bailey into staying in her bed all night insted of crawling in with Clancy and I. I told her I would take her to get her toes painted. So far, it has been two nights and she has stayed in there all night!!
Hmm.. Now if I could just bribe Cam into not wetting the bed I might just might get a full night of sleep. I have to get him up once a night to take him potty or he will wet the bed. I thought we were over this hurdle but I guess God is not done testing me!!

Clancy decided to take the family hunting/camping with him...Well, it was more like I watch the kids at the camp site while he goes hunting. It was really fun. All of us were sooo dirty we could hardly stand it! No such luck for finding live animals, but Clancy did find a scull. cam thought that was pretty neat.


Cam with his prize!

Where is the nearest bath tub?
shooting 101
watch out!
sadie was so tired. It's hard work hiking woth 5 babies in the tummy!

again-amazed at the beauty we are surrounded by
wOw! What a sight!
Mighty hunter! He makes daddy proud
How do I work this thing again?

Lov'n my new 'do'

A very FUN FILLED day

We started out the day at Sayaka's with yummy pizza and sno-cones. Then we headed to Thanksging Point Gardens. we had planned on just checking out Discovery park but then got lucky and got to go to the BIG gardens for free. It was such a treat, but I think we were all a little tired and ready to go home at the end of the day.


Angela hard at work making sno-cones
Haruhi enjoying her sno-cone.
It is so neat to watch her. She was so shy and timid when we first met. She had only been in the US for about a month. what a shock for a 4 year old. Now, it is so neat to see her face light up when we get together. She loves playing with Cam and Bailey. Even though they cannot really communicate with words yet!
Cam and Bailey are feeling so spoiled!
Bailey at Discovery Gardens

All the kids cooling off
Noah's Ark fountain

The magnificent man made waterfalls

Looking at the fish in the water garden
Do I have to put my arm around him mom??
AHHH!! It bit me!!
Cam loved crawling in the bear cave. I regret to say I did lose him here. Not a fun place to lose a child.


Best Buddies... Haruhi, Cam, Bailey and Noah

The landscape was unbeleivable!! Perfect place for a wedding.
notice the sage brush in the back ground
Stroler parking!! Only in UTAh
Hard at work!!



our little munchkin

More waterfalls

Cam is wondering how Bailey got so far ahead of him