Happy Thanksgiving!

This year has brought many things to be thankful....and right up at the top is our little Tee...who was sleeping through our delicious dinner!

I am thankful for Duce and his willingness to help and do the right thing.

I am thankful for Jett and his independent spirit and when he is sleepy, he can be vvery cuddly.

I am thankful for Avery and her high pitched singing voice.

I am thankful for Josie and her potty-trained booty!

I am thankful for Tee and his toothy straight across grin.

I am thankful for Tyler and his willingness to watch all the kids and let me get some shopping done!

I am thankful for Jordan and Shanda for being the BEST neighbors in the whole wide world.

....it was DELICIOUS!

Sunday pictures

I had a few minutes before church this morning, so I thought I would take a couple of pics of the kids. Good practice for when we take our family picture soon, right.


My handsome boys, Jett, Tee & Duce - - - - - - - - - - My adorable girls, Josie & Avery


We got a little silly and nearly got carried away....were almost late to church.
(only thing missing...Tyler. He has been in Utah and will be home TONIGHT!)

Not for the Faint of Heart

This was my view outside my window as I did my dishes after dinner!

Jordan and a buddy of his went hunting this evening. There have been many "pre-hunt" outings...to find the right spot. And I guess the found the right spot.

Duce came running is....so proud of himself...."I touched the eyball, mom! I touched the eyeball!"

Avery said, "Mom, I've never seen a deer before. I'm so happy I get to see a deer!"

None of them seem weirded out by the fact that they were DEAD! I was!

Shanda was amazing...taking the meat inside and immediately cleaning it up...now that is a loving wife! I guess we will be eating venison!

Avery's Thanksgiving Feast

Tyler is in Utah right now so he missed the delicious stone soup Avery's preschool class made for their Thanksgiving feast (and there really was a HUGE stone in it!) Shanda, Josie and Tee got to come with me. The soup was REALLY good! Avery also made pumpkin muffins that she was super excited for me to try...again, they were delicious!

Things have gotten serious!

In case the first sign wasn't clear enough, the boys decided they needed to make their point CRYSTAL clear! And Josie has been grouped into the "not allowed" group....their reason, she is a girls. Plain and simple.

NO GIRLS

I found this on the boys door a few days ago. I guess there was a heated arguement over whether or not Avery could come in....Avery is out, I guess. Atleast she is pretty and doesn't have horns and crazy hair.

We have a crawler

Tee finally has figured it out...he is a little sparatic, but he is doing it. No more leaving the stairs to the basement unguarded.

Frugal tip

I'm always looking for ways to save money and make planning dinner less stressful. I started doing this years ago and it is one of the things that saves my life. I buy ground beef in bulk on sale, then fry it up...adding salt, onion powder, garlic salt, etc. Drain the fat and let it cool. Then I divide it into quart size freezer bags and put them in the freezer! I usually put just under a pound...amybe 3/4 of a pound per bag. Lately, I've been adding beans (black, kidney, red) to the meat to make it go a little further. Plus I want my kids used to eating beans...should we ever need to break into our 50 pound pails of beans food storage. Adding the beans is a cheap and healthy way to make sure thereis enough protien in their diet! Then 5 o'clock hits and the dreaded question "what's for dinner?" is asked, I can grab one of these bags and its that much closer to being done.

House of sicko kiddos!

Do the bowls by the bedsides give you any idea what the last few days have been like in our house?

• Jett threw up in his bowl while watching TV
• This morning, Tee and Jett wake up with fevers
• Last night at dinner....Jett threw up at the bar...nearly causing a chain reaction with Duce and Avery
• Yesterday...school called...Jett threw up in sign language class
• Yesterday morning...went to the grocery store...left with NO groceries...Josie threw up all over the store.
• Monday night...Josie threw up in her bed
• Monday morning....grandma Munns heads back to Florida...the proud carrier of the Anderson funk (had her up all night)
• Over the weekend...Tyler was throwing up

Duce, Avery and I are just waiting...its bound to hit one of us. Last night Tyler said I was next! Great...who will take of me then?!

Poor Jett passed out after breakfast, down by the fire.

We will miss Kyle

One of Tyler's players from Tooele came out to SVU to help coach. Kyle Brady was a great linebacker for the University of Utah Utes so he was a great asset to the coaching staff. But I think my kids enjoyed him the most. We had him over for dinner almost every Sunday and the kids mauled him from the second he walked in the door. Tonight was the last dinner we got to have with him. He will be going back to Utah after next weeks away game. We will miss him, but hopefully he will be able to come back and help coach again!

The kids kept grabbing his ankles saying, "Don't let him leave. Don't let him leave!"

They barricaded the door to keep him from leaving...yup...they REALLY like Kyle!

Last Home Game...

...didn't turn out the way we had hoped...but we had fun going anyway...lots of COLD fun. Because its freezing here. Maybe we are wimps, but this is COLD for me! Dad had to run home to get some more blankets and even then, my back was sore at the end of the game from shivering so much!

Avery REALLY wanted her picture with the mascot...so unlike my kids. We were sitting at the very top pf the stadium and she dragged me down to get it.
Avery was my little picture taker...and she took a TON! Here are a sampling of them....the game was a "nail biter!"