an evening at the "Joe"

Am I too late to post about our 4th of July activities? No? Great. So here goes...

We have ended up with a tradition of going to a Charleston River Dog game around the 4th. The fireworks game. This year it was actually on July 3rd. For the past few years we have lamented that we can't seem to get off the beach and to the "Joe" until right when the game is going to start. This year we were there when they opened the gates. Ella went straight to guest services and asked to sign up for the Hula Hoop contest. Every year she wants to participate and we get there too late. Adrian even called the ballpark this year so we would know when the gates open.

She asked to sign up and they looked at her a little funny and said, "We don't have a Hula Hoop contest."

Epic Fail, as the teenagers say.

We were all bummed. So I asked what contest/competitions they were having.

"The only thing we have left open is the pie eating contest." she replied.

Pie eating contest? Now William is our pie maker and eater, but Rachel is our competitive pie eater, so I signed her up.

and here is the video of the results:

Harrison and Lucy looking thrilled

Always happy Ella



William

Grandpa and Harrison


Linda, Grif, and Lane

To the victor goes the spoils (in this case an apple pie from Harris Teeter)

Fifteen candles (times two!!)

Lucy and Rachel turned fifteen yesterday.

But of course the party started over the weekend. Friday night several out of town guests arrived. At about 11:00 we loaded into the car to go to the Twilight midnight release.


Saturday morning more friends arrived and the movie was watched.

And they sighed, and shrieked and swooned.

Edward...

Carlyle...

Jacob...

and those other Cullen guys. Okay, I didn't watch. I have seen it once. (on opening night) I am all Twilighted out just from that one viewing. I also have tried to read it. UGH. Sorry, I know I am the only woman on the planet not in love with creepy Edward. But he is CREEPY!

Anyway, they watched. {{Still in their jammies.}}

Then they started preening. And curling. And trying on different outfits. Oh, yeah! It was a Bi-Stake Dance!!! (For those not in the know that means that our stake invited another stake to the dance, so we had Twice the boys, umm, kids)
Alexander, William, Harrison, Bryce. (no, Harrison did not go to the dance, he will be 14 in Sept. and then he can start going)

Here are Duck, Lucy, Victoria, Dreah, Meleah, and Meredith.


This is Meleah, Rachel, and Meredith
















Fast forward to Wednesday night. The REAL birthday.

Candles for Lucy







Candles for Rachel

cupcakes for everyone



LUCY




Rachel

ummm, what church are you a Preacher for?

So half of my 9 readers will get this and the other half will be kind of confused by it, the same way Rachel's teacher( a Church of Christ Preacher) must have been.

Rachel had a history test. Rachel goes to a Church of Christ Private School.

This unit is history out of the Bible. The question asked

Who was transfigured?

They had been studying Enoch, among other things. Of course, Enoch should be the answer here.


But Rachel got a little confused for a second.



She wrote down AMMON as the answer.

Just a little Mormon slip!

piano recital

Ella and Rachel had a piano recital last month. It was held in the sanctuary of the Methodist Church. Isn't Ella cute with her glasses?


Here is Lucy fixing Molly's hair while Molly chats with her best buddy R.

I survived!

14 years ago, after 13 hours of labour, I gave birth to twins.


And I have lived to tell the story...



Happy Birthday Lucy and Rachel!!!!

Make way for another generation of blogger

After my daughter started putting secret posts on my cooking blog I decided she needed her own blog. Of coarse I never look at my cooking blog cause I am a slacker, so really I was the only one that didn't know she was posting over there. Not really secret posts. Go and check her out in all her teenage glory!

www.pinkbasementdweller.blogspot.com

Sunday Summary

*EDIT... I added another item, on Sunday night, and you don't want to miss this one. I put it first....

I am still recovering from Friday's Tag Team. So after taking yesterday off I am ready to start a new tradition here at the old family blog. doo doodoo (that is the sound of horns blowing)

Sunday Summary

I will give you a quick recap of the highlighter of the week before. My extended family is excited right now, thinking I will actually be posting something that will interest them. My blogging friends are thinking, great, a boring list of bragging about her kids. So here it goes:

• **EDIT**Ella got to come home from school early on Friday. She called me from school to tell me that while they were taking a walking down the hall and the boy behind her threw up all over the back of her!!!! From the middle of her back down to her ankles!! I brought her a change of clothes, but after she changed I brought her home and had her take a shower. It was funny and gross. The teachers were bragging on Ella because she just kept telling B it was okay that he threw up on her. They said she was very mature and handled it very well. Ella would never want to make someone feel uncomfortable, even someone who throws up on her!
  
  
• Harrison played his first tournament game yesterday. They lost in overtime. Again. But the highlight really is that he lost a contact on the way there and had to play with only one good eye. He missed every shot. And most passes. He kept overthrowing everything. He didn't think it was funny. And umm... neither did I. Really.

• William and Rachel went the Stake Youth Planning Committee meeting yesterday. It should be a fun year for the youth, according to Rachel. She said they were supposed to keep the details a secret. I told her that was from the youth, I was a leader and would be told the details of everything. She wouldn't budge. So I did what any good mom would do, I went to William and got him to tell me the details.

• After the meeting I took Rachel home and then came back to watch William at the dance. I mean to chaperon the dance. He danced every song with a different girl. I was really impressed. Then I found out that they challenged the members of the planning committee to dance 80% of the songs. William is a good kid. He does what he is asked to do! He also skipped his schools Homecoming game to be at the meeting and dance. I asked him several times if he was sure he wanted to miss it. So I am realizing how grateful I am for a son who picks his church responsibilities over sports! (Yes, the coach probably wouldn't have played him anyway, but he still chose to skip it!)

• Ella starts a new book report this week. She loves the monthly book report assignments that her wonderful teacher Mrs. Lambert gives them. She is making a pop up report. It has to be over a folk tale or a fable. She chose The Tortoise and The Hare. She finished and turned in her poetry report last week. She had to memorize a poem and decided to memorize one that she wrote herself. She wrote it in a card for me a few years ago. Here it is:

Dear Mother

Dear Mother, Dear Mother
Stop churning butter
Now go take a rest
We'll all be our best
You'll have cookies and pies
We won't tell any more lies
I know you don't like the dogs
At least they're not hogs
We won't break any more lamps with the ball
It was worth it after all

By Ella

• William and I went to a baptism yesterday. A very sweet 18 year old boy was baptised. He went to the dance last night and it was fun to see him have so much fun. There are a lot of good kids out there, but the bad ones give all teenagers a bad name!

• The girls and I went to scrap booking club Friday night. Don't think that means that I actually own a scrapbook, cause I don't. I go and talk to Michelle and Lucy scrapbooks. Rachel takes care of any babies that are toddling around and Ella and Molly visit or make crafty things with all the Stampin' Up and Creative Memories stuff that is laying around. This week I actually brought a blanket so I could continue the nap I had been taking at home but we didn't have a key to the family history library, so we met in the Young Women's room and there is no couch in there. I was so sad. I just sat on a hard chair wrapped in a blanket. I took some pics, too. I am scared to try and download pics after last weeks fiasco.

My blog has been infiltrated!!!!

THose pictures of my sweetpeas were NOT posted by me. When I came home and saw my blog I exclaimed quite loudly, "SOMEONE HAS POSTED ON MY BLOG!!!"

Insert large amounts of laughter. Hmm.. who is that laughing?

Rachel?

Well, at least she can laugh at herself, since the top picture she made of William and he retaliated by making the bottom picture, and she posted both of them.

On a side note, we go back to school tomorrow. UGH! That means being in the car by 6:10 every morning for seminary.
BUT... William turns 16 next month. We are hoping that his Eagle Project gets approved this week. There is still time for him to get it done and heve his drivers liscense on his birhtday. Oh how I wouold love to get to be home that extra time in the morning. I am so rushed when I get back from taking him. I usually get back between 6:30 and then 6:35. During that time I pack lunches and make sure the little girls eat breakfast. I usually eat breakfast. Try to do hair, etc. It is really rushed. We tyr to be back in the car to go back and pick William up and drop at the three schools my children go to by 7:00.

We Americans lead busy lives. I have moments when I think that pioneer living might have been easier. Just a moment though. Then I snap back to reality! Hello, indoor plumbing and dishwasher!!