I love a family walk on Sundays

I love it on Sunday after dinner and the dishes are done to go on a family walk. Yesterday it was a bit chilly but we went anyway.

We just go about a mile up our road. Right know it is all green and spring has sprung.

This is a trillium flower. They grow in the woods between Mom' s and Jeff's houses. It is said if you pick a trillium flower it takes 7 years for it to bloom again. We don't pick them, we just enjoy looking at them.

This is Isaac not wanting his picture to be taken. He is going through that phase. He also likes the color orange!!

Here is Sam hanging out at Far Mor's mailbox. He is sporting a new haircut which mom and dad really like but he thinks is too marine like.


Of course there has to be a funny face picture if Hannah is along for the walk. Dave is not sporting a new haircut and in much need of one hence the hat.

Luke likes to pick the deer clover. Actually all the kids have picked their fair share of deer clover on these family walks. Now it is Luke's turn. It grows all along the road.

And here is Luke eating the deer clover. They are all convinced they will never go hungry because we will always be able to find and eat deer clover. Maybe I should figure out how to store it in my food storage.

You have to admit this is just a fun picture. And should have some inspirational line below it like
You never know what is around the next corner but with the help of your family and if you hold on to one another you can face what ever may come. Okay, maybe something shorter and more profound.


I love this man!! I am so glad it is now warm enough and light enough on Sunday evenings to go for our family walks. And that we live in an area as beautiful as we do. We are truly blessed. Millie

YEAH Hannah is Home!!

Why is it so fun having Hannah home?

1. She is so bubbly and happy and dances around and gets the boys to dance around with her.

2. We watch Jane Eyre during the day and then again at night with Rob!!

3. Movie quoting.

4. Funny picture taking.

5. She loves to go shopping even if it is to Costco and Winco.







6. Did I mention funny picture taking?

7. Doing buns of steel, well it is kind of fun, well not fun but we do do it.

8. She loves the sunshine and wears toe rings.

9. She is a lot of help around the house and just plain helpful.

10. Cause I love her a lot and miss her when she is gone. I love knowing she is in her room at night when I go to bed. Millie

A Day in the Life of a Storm Trooper

Luke loves to dress up in costumes. He always has. He use to wear capes everywhere we went and so I had him wear bandannas so they would not get caught in doors or drag in puddles. He had them in all colors and had to wear specific ones to be specific super heroes and to go with certain shirts. But he has stopped wearing capes and so I made them into a quilt for him for Christmas. He still loves to put on costumes and his friend Hayden gave him a bag full of Star Wars costumes. On this day he chose to be a storm trooper ( he says he is a clone soldier).

Is he not the cutest storm trooper ever!! I mean clone soldier!! I don't know what we would do without Luke to keep us entertained and on our toes!! Millie

To TP or Not to TP

Friday night while Isaac and Luke were innocently sleeping and Rob, Sam, David and I were watching "O Brother Where Art Thou" we were TPed.
(I tried to get some pictures but they are pretty dark!!)
They did a beautiful job. We still have some toilet paper in the trees really up high. The boys did not quite know what to think and Rob was glad he is still not walking so he didn't have to clean up!! I myself did not mind at all. I look at is as someone likes us. I also figure I used up a lot of rolls TPing all over Weiser and in parts of Vancouver and even recently in this area. So, if Karma does exists I expect we will be TPed again.
David asked me if TPing was only thought of as good in the Mormon culture because the kids on the bus wanted to know who had TPed us (because we can't get it all out of the trees and it is still blowing out there) and David said we think one of Sam's friends did it because they also TPed his truck and not our other cars. They said some friend that is and did not think it was cool at all. So, that is my question, Is TPing a positive thing or a negative thing? Let me know what you think. Millie

I love conference!!

I have really enjoyed going to conference this weekend. We were able to go to all the sessions at the stake center. Rob sat with his back against the wall and his foot up on the bench. Saturday we went to Izzy's in between for lunch and last night Rob went out to dinner with Sam and David and his brother Jeff after the Priesthood session. Today we took a picnic lunch and ate in the parking lot with 4 other families. The weather was beautiful. And we all shared our desserts!!

I came away with such a feeling of hope from conference. We usually have a FHE about prophets and past conference talks the Monday before and then we each write down things we are concerned about or want to know more about on a card and put it in our scriptures and pray during the week for answers. Every time I have received answers to my concerns. And it is always great to hear how the kids have received answers. As usual I have received answers and have come away knowing what more I need to do.

I loved when the choir sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and they showed the pictures and video of President Monson. And his closing remarks on what we need to do. In this time of trial and strife it would be easy to be afraid but as our leaders have told us, faith is not fear. I am grateful for a prophet and other leaders on the earth today to give us guidance and for their example. What a blessing. And for the blessing of having a temple close to go to for peace and inspiration. Millie

Spring Break Fun!!

This week is our spring break. The first day of spring break Rob was playing basketball with David and went up for an alley oop and came down wrong!! He suffered through the night and then on Tuesday we took him to the Dr. who sent him to an orthopedic surgeon who confirmed that it was not broke, only very badly sprained. As he put it " Your ankle is very angry". Because the swelling was so bad they put on a cast like splint and he is suppose to keep it above his heart for the next 72 hours!!
Here is Rob in his room!! He has taken over the couch. Today he got to take a sponge bath (Yeah) and listened to The Count of Monte Cristo on book on CD. He is doing really well but very tired of this position. He is not to go back to work until Monday and he goes in in 10 days and hopefully the swelling will be down and they can put him in a boot.
For a treat tonight I made a fruit pizza. The recipe card says Becky's fruit pizza so I am assuming I got it from Maudie. We used strawberries, kiwis, and mangos ( a fruit I fell in love with on my mission).
The trick was cutting it so you got all three fruits. It was delicious if I do say so myself. And very pretty to look at.
The boys ate fruit pizza and were good enough to listen to Luke while he told them a story. It has poured down rain all day today and I saw three cars with snow on them when I took Sam to his Dr. appointment. So far this has been a rather disappointing Spring break. Monday we cleaned the patio and the boot boxes and bedrooms. Then the mishap with Rob's ankle. Tuesday Rob and I spent all day at various Drs. offices and the pharmacy. Wednesday the 3 older boys had dental appointments ( always a treat, we do love our dentist, Chuck, but it is still the dentist) and Sam had a Dr. appointment for a very deep chest cough he brought home from Georgia (where the Battle Ground Jazz band brought home a 3rd place, the only public school to place!!) and wanted to take care of before soccer starts next week. We watched a movie with the boys we should have previewed first!! Fruit pizza has definately been the high light of our break so far!! Hopefully Rob's foot will be better by the end of the week and we can catch a movie and go to conference a family tradition. The weather is not suppose to be good until Saturday and Sunday of course!! Millie