New addiction...

OK...so it took me awhile to upload all the pictures, video, and slide shows...so I am posting all at once...I think 7 postings altogether, including this one. Make sure you scroll down to see them all :-)! Then check out all of the photos in the family web album link...2 new albums from this fun filled weekend.

So, as you can see I found a new web-site...Smile box. I plan on making a LOT more of these slide shows and scrapbooks...LOTS of fun but WAY too addicting!!!!
On the Army slide show you have to click the arrows to see the next pictures however on the other two they will forward automatically. And you can click on the square in the top right corner to enlarge the slide show.
I will work on some scrapbooks from Rachel and Sam's parties! My fellow blogger friends...go check it out...I hope you love it as much as I do...have fun!

Our Busy Saturday...and Sunday...

My Saturday began WAY too early for this old lady...Jakob had a 6 a.m. hockey practice which meant getting up at 5:30...I am NOT a nice person that early in the morning! We got home at 7:30 to find Rachel and Ben enjoying cartoons. However, one look at Rachel and I could tell she was not feeling well. 103.8* temp! So, on the couch she stayed and pretty much has been that way since...it is now Monday night. The Tylenol and Motrin cocktails do not go over well with her but, do manage to bring the fever down to about 101 for just a little while and then it spikes back up. When I got home this afternoon it was 104.2! Ugh! I will take her in tomorrow morning if it is still high..although I really don't think they will do anything except tell me to give her Tylenol & Motrin...but, I guess I need to hear from the doctor that she is alright...she doesn't have any other symptoms though. Sam, on the other-hand now has a cold again...which I am sure will lead us back to the doctor for another ear infection...
Where was I...oh yes...back from practice...medicine to Rachel. Instruction for Jakob to watch her and Ben until Grandpa woke up. I was off with Sam to my Moms Club annual bazaar. I had made 9 dozen cookies that needed to be dropped off & I had volunteered to help at the bake sale table for 2 hours. Back home...called my friend Tara to apologize that Rachel would not be able to attend Ethan and Olivia's birthday celebrations...Rachel was so upset...she kept saying, "I feel better." "Rachel, I am sorry but you are almost 104 degrees...you can't go." Broke my heart.
Took Ben to the party. Then onto his first practice...although as you can see from the pictures he first has to learn to stand up on the ice! He should learn quickly...or so I've been told. We had only gone once last winter...bad parents...ok...we weren't bad...just VERY busy! Anyway, once he can stand I think he will be awesome at hockey. He LOVES to play in the house and in the driveway! He has great drive, determination, and good stick and puck/ball skills already... for a 4 year old anyway!
Then Saturday evening grandpa took Jakob, Ben and their friend Jacob to the fall festival at Ben's school. Lots of fun activities and Halloween candy!

Ben enjoying Ethan and Olivia's party! Check out the slide show I made to see the rest of the pictures...

Ben wants to learn to skate so he can play hockey on the ice...

As soon as we got home Ben wanted to play house hockey with Jakob...I don't know why he wasn't tired...I wish I had half his energy!

Sunday, Sam, Rachel and I relaxed at home. I caught up on some chores. Grandpa enjoyed taking the boys to the children's museum. Soon after they returned Jakob lost his tooth...on the right. He lost the one on the left just a few days ago!

Ethan and Olivia's Birthday Party!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Morgan's Birthday Party!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We Miss You Daddy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Weekend fun captured on video...

This is Jakob and Ben practicing hockey in the house, then Ben's silly reaction to Daddy's letter...I ask Ben to tell me what to write to Daddy and he always has me ask Daddy if he has shot any bad guys yet, any bad guy tanks, bad guy boots, etc. And then sometimes he throws in silly stuff like, "daddy, have you seen any bad guy turtles?" So, Paul wrote him back that he was still looking for the turtles and here is Ben laughing at that...so cute!! And lastly, our little monkey is learning to WALK!!!! He is so adorable...he takes 3-5 steps and then sits down, looks around to see who is watching, smiles real big, and waits for everyone to applause!

Friday activities...Morgan's Birthday, playing Army!

Ben and Rachel went to their friend, Morgan's, 5th birthday party on Friday night. Jennifer makes the coolest cakes EVER...she is so talented! Check out this Pizza cake!

Picture collage of Morgan's party...click to enlarge...

Sam had so much fun with this balloon at Morgan's birthday party!

Big hugs...

Rachel with her friends Isabelle and Hailey

The kids all made their own pizza boxes to take home any left overs. Mine are now using the boxes in their play kitchen :-).

Sam found out that he could empty out the bottom drawer full of sippy cups and then climb in and play...

Look at this mess I made...

Grandpa enjoying playing Rescue Heroes with Ben and Sam...

Grandpa enjoying Samuel...

Friday was career day at school. Wednesday, Jakob said he would be an Army guy, he had already said he would dress as that for Halloween as well. Rachel kept going back and forth..."Mom, do I dress as a Vet? A teacher? An artist? A singer? A musher? I think I will be an Army girl." And, so it was decided...Army girl. Friday morning Jakob and Rachel got all their stuff ready & Ben had to get dressed up as well. He was running around the house all morning killing bad guys! Then when they returned from school they put their outfits back on to play "kill bad guys" with Ben and they wanted me to dress up Sam...so, I did! They all decided that they want to be army guys and girl for Halloween as well. That was easy! This is of course after Ben has said he was going to be every single dress-up out-fit we own...Buzz Lightyear, Thomas, Scooby-Doo, Spider-Man, Super-Man, etc., etc. Too many choices for a 4 year old!

They had so much fun playing and I had to take pictures. I am making a slide show too so look for that in a minute...or actually, it will probably post before this entry...oh well.

Collage of the Army family...click to enlarge.I love this shot of Samuel...

"We are ready to go, Sir!"

Cute little soldier Sam...

Cute little soldier Ben...

Jakob is ready to lead the way...

My sweet little Army princess...

This is my crazy little killer...

The Past Few days...

It will take me a little bit on the birthday pictures...be patient...I want to make a cool movie and I am new at that...but, it will be cool. In the meantime...here is what's been going on around here the past few days. I am FINALLY over the stupid cold/sinus infection, whatever I had for 2 & 1/2 weeks! Yeah for me! Sam is done with his antibiotic and is back to his happy self...yeah for him and yeah for my ears! The kid has a set of lungs like you wouldn't believe!

Jakob and Rachel went to H2Oasis (an indoor water park) with Jacob and Isabelle for Jacob's birthday party on Saturday while the rest of us chilled out at home. I still felt horrible at that time and I didn't want Sam to go in the water since he still had the ear infection. When they returned Jakob left right away with my Dad to sit OUTSIDE at Walmart to sell popcorn for the Cub Scouts...Jakob still had WET hair & it was 25*! I have NO IDEA why Walmart does not let them sit inside like all the other locations they sell from!? Now that we FINALLY have a Target next to the Air Force Base I hope that next year his Pack sells from INSIDE that wonderful location!

Thank you Grandpa for sitting outside, in the freezing cold, for 2 hours with Jakob!!!! Grandpa has been wonderful at listening to Rachel do her nightly reading and then reads to her and Ben while I put Sam down, he has taken Jakob to hockey practice and Cub Scout meetings and Rachel to Ballet. The kids are enjoying showing off what they can do! And he has been able to have lots of quality time with little Samuel!

So here are a few of my favorite pics. from the past week...



Big Hug!

The munchkins with their friend Isabelle...

The munchkins with their friends Morgan and Hailey...

We love Build-A-Bear...
What are you looking at...

OK...so this is one of Sam's favorite toys right now...maybe he will be a doctor???

He will wear this for several hours...every time it falls off he works with it for a few minutes and manages to almost always get it back on by himself!

This is what happened when I tried to take it off so that I could feed him dinner...I'm not happy Mom!

On Monday while the 3 older ones were in school I took my Dad out for a short drive...Sam was not a willing participate so we had to cut it short. It was a bright, sunny day and the mountains were beautiful!

No more autumn leaves though...
The kids have been enjoying playing games with grandpa...

With Jakob... Chess is serious stuff...

With Ben...Chess is NOT so serious :-). He totally made up a game and was extremely animated about the whole thing...way too cute!!!


Enjoying story time...

Check out the rest of the pictures in the two added albums...