Erik & Stuff

Friday was Erik's birthday but because of Mike's schedule and the fact the Erik wouldn't notice we didn't celebrate until today! Everytime we would ask him what he wanted for his birthday all he would say was presents. Finally he told us he wanted a dumptruck, a dumptruck cake, and a purple elephant with polka dots. Grandma Puterbaugh made the most amazing dumptruck cake, Erik was so tickled when he saw it! Mike and I got him a huge Tonka dumptruck, and Aunt Shelly got him his puple elephant with a polka dot ribbon tied around the neck. He thinks he had a pretty perfect day! We also always let the kids choose what they want for dinner so this afternoon we had, "cheese hamagers, french fries, pop, and chick'n nuggets". I will try and get pictures posted soon. I forgot the camera at Grandma and Grandpa Gurney's. Oops! All in all we must have tuckered poor Erik out since he fell asleep on the floor in front of the couch.

Speaking of Erik, he comes up with the craziest things sometimes. Thursday I startled him and he turned to me, "You scared me out the crap!"

Football is done for the season! Happy mommy!!!!!! Caleb's team never did win a game all season but they played some really tough teams this year. The boys never let it get them down though, they always played their little hearts out. Jacob's league doesn't keep score, but his team did really well. I think they only lost, unofficially, a couple of times.

Joey still has at least 1 soccer game left. He is one of the best players on his team and his coach told him they really missed him two weeks ago when he had to miss because he was running a fever.

I am soooooooo glad that we are done with H1N1 at our house. All 5 kids had it and got over it within a week. I had one evening that I didn't feel so great but I was definately blessed enough that I didn't really get sick. Not only did my kids have it but my parents and younger brother and sister that all live across the street all had it too. Mike and I were the only healthy ones! Needless to say by the time everyone could go back to school this past Monday I was sooooooooo happy to send them.

Mike goes in for knee surgery tomorrow. The Doctor says he should be able to be up and around pretty good in about a week to a week and a half. Hopefully all goes well and he has a speedy recovery.

Well I think that's all for the Puterbaughs for now. Hopefully I will get those pics loaded Tuesday!

Football!!!

Okay Lynn and Erin here are some pics for ya!

Football season is in full swing! These are pictures from the boys' games on Saturday. Both teams lost but they played awsome. Caleb plays both offensive and defensive line and he is also the backup center.

Jacob also plays both offense and defense but he plays all over the place.

This is what Sarah thinks of Mommy cheering for her brothers!

Thank You Grandma Puterbaugh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the most amazing Mother-in-law! She made Sarah's and Caleb's birthday cakes this year. Aren't they just wonderful. She does wedding cakes too!

Life!

Well life here still keeps going. Mike has been home for the last couple of weeks with a knee injury. He has torn the meniscus in his left knee. He will return to work tomorrow and keep working until his surgery which will probably be the end of October.
The three big boys are busy with school and sports. Caleb is in the 4th grade this year and seems to be doing really well. Jacob is in the 2nd grade and his teacher is having a hard time keeping him busy, he is leaps and bounds ahead of his class. We'll have to see how it goes. Joey has started kindergarten. After his first day of school he came home and said, "Mom, I am going to be really good in school." To that I asked, "Why?" " 'cause I don't want to go to the principals office." I got a good chuckle out of this because he has been in Dr. Roberts' office a lot last year with me while I was the PTO President and she always had candy for him. I don't think I will bother reminding him of that though.
Caleb is in his 3rd year of Optimist Football, his first year of tackle. It was kind of hectic the last couple of days before their jamboree in Boise. The leage has set weight limits for the players in each age group and they are required to weigh-in at jamboree. The Wednesday before jamboree Caleb's coach finally weighed all of his players. The freshmen are only allowed to weigh 115lbs with all of their pads, Caleb weighed in at 136lbs! Panic! They were able to move him up an age class but the weight limit there was 130lbs with pads! That meant that in order for him to play this year we had to cut his weight by 6 lbs in 2 DAYS!!! The poor boy thought he was starving to death but he ended up dropping 10lbs! He weighed in at 126lbs at jamboree! He is an animal on the football field! His coaches are so glad that they were able to get him on their team and his old coach wants him back next year! Jacob is playing flag football for the first time this year! The boy is fast and he just has a feel for where the ball is. You should see him go after the other team. Both boys are playing both offense and defense.
Joey is just starting soccer tonight. He was so excited to start that he got his cleats and shin pads on at noon for his 6:00pm practice.
Erik is loving having a few days a week with just him, Mom and Sarah home while the brothers are in school. He still acts out at times because he doesn't do well with change but it is getting better.
Sarah is so busy! She is walking now and climbs on everything. She has figured out how to climb up on the table and she does it all the time. We can't keep her setting down in anything. She climbs out of her high chair, the shopping carts and even her car seat a couple of times, even when she is buckled in! She keeps me running! But she is such a sweetheart and will forever be the princess at our house.

Yeah I remembered my password!
This summer has just gotten away from me. Plus the comp has been down so I don't have any pics to post. We have been busy just playing a lot. June was spent playing and hanging out with Lynn, Erin, Porter and Peyton. The boys had so much fun, they are still talking about it. The end of June we went to the Oregon Coast for a few days with the Gurney's for the family reunion. It was so good to see everybody and we are excited for Justin. Then it was home again sort of, I spent the first couple of weeks going to Meridian almost every-other day to help Mike's mom get things ready for our woman's reunion or Ya-Ya down in Utah and then on July 15th I kissed the boys good-bye for 5 whole days. Sarah came with me and we had such a great time. I met all of Mike's female relatives on his mom's side. They really are neat ladies and it really made me feel more like a part of his family. I will always be grateful for that experience.
I helped out at the Shadow Butte PTO Fairbooth the week after I came home. It was a lot of fun and I will be forever grateful to our chairperson because she did a fantastic job.
Last week was spent just doing odds and ends here at home. I am trying to get the house cleaned up before school starts but it's not happening very quickly. Caleb starts football practice next week. He has one day of conditioning this week and equipment pass out. He is so excited to get started. Jacob decided he wanted to play this year too. I'm a little nervouse for him since he is so small but the boy is super quick so hopefully it will all even out. He actually kind of reminds me a little of Lynn when he started playing. I just hope they don't squash him. Well that's pretty much all. Mike is still at St. Al's and I am still staying home. We would love to buy a house but are quickly getting discouraged. Love ya all.

The Doctor's Office

I forgot the best part of our doctors visit yesterday. First off you need to know that the trash can in our doctors office is one of those sturdy square metal ones with the flip up lid and that it is only about two feet tall. Just tall enough for a little boy to climb on and get into trouble. Well this particular trash can is right next to the sink not the best place for it in my oppinion but they didn't ask me. Anyway, the doctor ordered a nebulizer treatment for Sarah to see if it would help with the weezing. The nurse hooked up the machine on the far side of the room away from the sink and then showed me how to use it and left me to finish giving Sarah the medicine. Now, by this time Joey is bored and tired and so is Erik. Erik climbed up on the trash can, turned on the water in the sink and started washing his hands. Harmless enough until he got the bright idea to get paper towels wet and try to wash the counter. Now these paper towels aren't the soft absorbant kind like we use at home. They are the stiff papery kind that take a minute to soak up water. Needless to say they made the water splash all over the counter and then drip onto the floor. Joey thought this was funny and started to laugh at his brother wich only made Erik splash more water. This whole time I am tethered to a nebulizer machine on the other side of the room with a hose and cord that are too short for me to reach the boys. By the time I finally got over to them there was a good 1/2-inch of water on the floor. I was so frustrated! I got a bunch of paper towels and had the boys wipe up their mess during which time Joey decides that mopping up the floor with a paper towel is fun and he proceeds to mop the entire floor. By this time the doctor finally comes back in and Joey tells her he is cleaning the floor. She got quite a kick out of him mopping the floor with his little paper towel. Leave it to my boys to figure out a way to make a mess no matter where we go!

Life Goes On!

We haven't fallen off the face of the earth! Life is just as crazy as ever. Keeping up with Erik's daily messes is a full time job all it's own. I have been busy at the school. They are starting a student run newspaper and I was asked to be one of the advisors. It has been a lot of fun.



Erik and Sara are both sick. They both have RSV, Erik's has turned into a very mild viral pnumonia and Sarah's is basically a viral bronchitis. Erik is actually doing better than Sarah but neither one is sleeping very well and it seems like as soon as I will get one to sleep the other is waking up. Oh, well that's life of a mom! Needless to say I am kind of stuck at home this week the only thing is I am in charge of RS Encrichment this Thursday. Hopefully everything will work out just fine.

Caleb and Jacob have been busy with school work. I can't believe how fast they are growing. They both love to read and each are reading well above their respective grade levels. I love it when I see them reading to their younger brothers it is so sweet.

Joey is Joey! What more can I say. He keeps me on my toes. He really is a good kid, he is just really busy! Like any kid he has to know that you truely love him if you want to get a positive response out of him.

Jessie's Dress

Okay, so here it is. This is the dress I made for Mike's niece, Jessica. My camera makes it look really wide but the girl is really, really skinny. I think it turned out really cute. The picture doesn't do it justice. I was even more excited that it fit. I always worry about something fitting when I make it for some one other than myself or my kids.

Erik!!!!!!!

Ok so between the poop on the floor, the tartar sauce on the bed, Mike's deoderant in the toilet, an entire box of cheerios on the kitchen floor, using me for a jungle gym, sitting on Sarah, not to mention the hundereds of glasses of water dumped on the floor, you would think he would be worn out! All of this in ONE day! I think Erik was sent here to test every ounce of my patience! It seemed like as soon as I got one mess cleaned up today there were at least two more. I think I need a vacation! No correction I know I need a vacation! Do you think I could hire him out as a one man wrecking crew?! :) One day I know I will look back on all of his mischief and laugh. Just not today.

Puzzles!?!

Joey has decided that his new favorite thing to do is put puzzles together. The only thing is he doesn't want to do what he calls the "easy" ones. (The kind he can do himself.) He wants to put together puzzles of 100 or more pieces. His idea of putting a puzzle together is Mom puts it all together except for about a dozen pieces that he then finishes. I guess he is actually pretty smart he figured out another way to get Mom's full attention.

New Church Calling!

Well between last week and this Mike and I have both gotten new callings. Mike is now an assistant Teachers Quorom leader and I am the new Relief Society Enrichment Leader. Mike is really excited to work with the young men. It is a perfect calling for him. I just wish I had as much confidence in my new assignment as he has in his. I know that with the Lord's help all things are possible and trust me I am going to need all the help I can get. Our first Enrichment night is in March, the R.S. Birthday Celebration, so I really need to get started on putting everything together. I'm not sure I even know where to begin but I will definately give it the best I can.

So I need a blogging lesson. My pictures keep disappearing if I add text to them. And I need to learn how to change my background with out the aid of cutest blog on the block. If you are willing to helpme out let me know.

Joey's black eye!

After playing Guitar Hero with Grandpa!

Sarah and the black marker!

Black Eyes & Black Markers

Don't you love Joey's eye! Sunday morning he kept running around the living room and then jumping up onto our couch that sets under the living room window. I can't count the number of times he has been told not to do this. But like any kid it doesn't seem to matter he's going to do it anyway. Well, he jumped up there and low and behold he smacked his face on the window sill. When he hit his eye he also hit his nose and made it bleed, so you would think he learned his lesson. Not my Joey. It wasn't even 10 minutes later and he was screaming because he hit his chin. He still hasn't figured it out because I had to get after him this afternoon for jumping on it again. Ugh! He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum.

This afternoon I had some errand to run and when we walked outside to get in the car he saw that Grandma and Grandpa Gurney's car and lights were on so he ran over to their house. If he has his choice he will always pick hang out with Grandpa over Mom. He thinks Grandpa is pretty much perfect. Well, when I got home from my running around he was all excited because he and Grandpa had been playing Guitar Hero on the Wii. He said he had the white guitar and Grandpa had the brown one and he was really excited because he gave Grandpa lightening. I was just shocked that he got Grandpa to play a video game with him. :) My dad has never been one to play video games. But then again I don't know that he has ever had anyone think he is so near to perfect as Joey does. Joey has needed a hair cut for a couple of months now but anytime I get near him with the clippers he takes off running. So yesterday I was sooooo happy when Grandpa finally convinced him that he could give him a hair cut. I think the last few hair cuts he has gotten have been from Grandpa. Needless to say we love Grandpa.

Yesterday evening Sarah was sitting in her walker while I was making dinner. Mike came out of our bedroom and asked what she was eating. I came out and found her licking/sucking on a drawing Jacob had made with markers. As you can see she had black marker all over herself. Thankfully it washed right off and out of her clothes. She is hitting that stage where everything goes in her mouth.

It is only 11:47pm and everyone is finally asleep at my house. I decide that one of my goals for this year is to try and be better about my blog.

Today, Mike came with me to finally go grocery shopping. I've been putting it off because I hate to go by myself with the kids. He was a real trooper about it especially considering he had to work tonight. Anyway, it wore the youngest two out and they fell asleep on the way home and I figured that it would be OK for Erik to take a nap since it was only 1:30. I guess I was wrong since he still stayed up until 11:45. It doesn't seem to help if I let him sleep in either. He still seems to end up taking an afternoon nap. I guess I'll figure it out.

I really do love my life. I know that sounds crazy given how crazy my life seems at times but everything always has a way of working out for the best. I may not always recognize it at the time, but with patients in time I see how it has made me grow. My kids are growing so fast and some days I just wish I could make time stop and keep them little forever.

I am so geatful for a husband and family who love me and put up with all of my foibles. It just reminds me how much I have been blessed in my life. Life is good. I have two new mottos I am going to try and live by this year.
First: "Life is too short to be grumpy"
Second: "Learn to Laugh at yourself."

These are just some more of my little angel. She was looking at her dad in this one.

She pulls some of the funniest faces. I sometimes wonder what she is thinking about.

Little girls are so precious.

I decided I better get some pictures of Sarah on my blog. This one is from Christmas morning. She was actually the first one up. She loved all of the commotion and lights.

Jacob and Joey each bought her a Care Bear. She actually loves to play with and chew on them.

I love this one. Actually I love all of them. She is the happiest baby.

This was the first time we gave her rice cereal. She wasn't so sure about it.

I am definately up to something!

Family Times!

This weekend was the first day Mike has had off in a long time that we didn't have set plans. It was great to just hang out and do some stuff with the kids. We had to take Caleb over to our new pediatricians office at 2:00 then we took the kids out for an early dinner. Their favorite place to go is the Jade Garden in Nampa. Everything was going really well until just before we got ready to leave Mike took all the boys to the bathroom. Shortly after Mike and Erik came back to the table Erik saw Caleb coming and since we were picking things up we let him run over to get his brother. We figured they would wait by the door which we could see from where we were. Well pretty soon Caleb yelled, "Mom, come quick!" I hurried over there and to my shock Erik had his pants around his ankles and was peeing in a potted plant. I was so embarressed. After we hurried everyone out and into the car Mike looked at me and said, "Leave it to Erik!" At that moment we both just busted up laughing. After we gained controll and got in the car all I could think was, "Well at least he peed in the plant and not on the floor." Erik is definately one in a million.

Sleep Deprived Ramblings

As I sit here in the relitive peace and quiet I ask myself do I really have to wake up the kids? It's time to start their day so they don't miss the school bus but I've been up since 3:00am with Erik. He has been crying because his ear hurts! Poor baby :( I hate it when my kids are sick. So now my day will be filled with doctors visits and hopefully naps.