The Jones Family!

STAR BRIGHT

2010-07-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ok so this is not a star but the moon looked amazing last night about 9:30 P.M. and I just could not believe how blue the sky was, how pink the clouds were and the moon was hanging out nice and early with them all! It was an amazing contrast of colors and all natural! Sometimes we tend to over look the amazing beauty all around us in our very busy lives but if we take a few minutes to slow down and take it in it can be very rewarding. I hope you all enjoy the simply beauty before the dark hits us. Later, Amy

A healthier way

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am trying to be a littler healthier and get Eric and I up and moving a bit more this summer; so we got our bikes out of the shed, bought new tires and dug out Trevor's bike trailer. It has definitely been an experience and a wake up call for me. The first time a pull Trevor behind me he yelled the whole time" faster, faster!" I wanted to have him pull me around for a bit! LOL! The trailer is very light weight and I don't really notice it behind me but Trevor is 45 pounds of extra weight and I am not in the best of shape. We rode our bikes down to Smith's food store to pick up a few (very few, lol) groceries; not as few as I had hoped since there is a space behind Trevor (a trunk you might say) that will hold at least 10 pounds of pork chops and 4 boxes of pudding.......well you get the idea. I thought I was going to die! I get half way down our street and half to stop and rest (this was on the way back home, you have to go both ways on the bike, sometimes it would not be so bad if it was only one direction! LOL) and I look back there is little Trevor asleep! Can you imagine!? He was working so hard he was actually napping; I guess there is a bonus because he didn't yell at me to "go faster, go faster!". I don't know that I love bicycling but it is great exercise and Eric loves it; he would live on that bike! Later, Amy

The ring bearer!

2010-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ok so I in no way have all the photos done I want done for my sister's wedding on June 25th but I thought I would post this since my baby did soooo good as the ring bearer for her and looked so handsome it made me want to cry! My neice Samantha was the flower girl and they both looked wonderful. I loved Sandi's second dress and she looked beautiful for the big day. I will post more pics of the wedding as I have time to do them. Later, Amy

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already the 4th! Travis drove in the parade again this year and I had to work during that time so my Mom went with him to help out with the kiddos. They had a ton of fun and the church that he drives for is so good to him and always has a goodie basket for him. They meet at the park after the parade and have free hot dogs and lots of fun activities. After we were both done working we headed to Lava Hot Springs to hang out with the kids, including Hailey and Lacey and all their kids. It was so great to be able to spend time with them and all the little ones. We had dinner with Shirley and tons of family and watched fireworks and then we spent the night in the tent in Lava. Thank goodness I had the next day off! LOL! I had a great time and am looking forward to next year! Later, Amy

Summer time!

2010-07-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

So a whole lot of us went to Jenson's Grove in Blackfoot on June 26! The kids had been asking for about three weeks when we could call Jenni and go to the beach with her and her kids so I finally just called her and we went. Travis had to work but since I have odd days of the week off we packed up the car and Grandma Margaret, called Aunt Sandi who was on vacation after her wedding and hauled down to the beach. We love spending time with lots of other kids and we don't get to do it very often. We took plenty of snacks and hung out in the water for a few hours. Thanks for a great time everyone! Later, Amy

circus time!

2010-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so Juanita gave us free tickets to the circus yesterday and we all went even took my niece Paige with us. It was very cold here yesterday so I am glad I made sure everyone was in pants and took jackets because they didnt have a big top (the tent) I was so sad! It is not truly a circus without the big top! We had fun though even in the cold and the rain; it was at the Idaho Falls fair grounds and they did have sheltered seats but Trevor was too cold to watch the circus. He would pop his head out of the blanket every few minutes to see what was going on but he did not want to stay there too long. He is sooooo much my child that it makes me laugh to think what a brat I must have been for my parents. The circus shut down at intermission but we then headed over to the Army Surplus store; I know right! lol! Travis had never been in there and wanted to wander around there a bit. It is a great place to get everything from clothes to emergency candles to rainsuits and boots and socks and well you get the idea! We got to eat at Frontier Pies and the kids loved it; they have a "covered wagon top" over the table so it feels like you are eating in an old wagon, well minus the dirt, insects and bumps (ok too much today but still funny). We bought a strawberry bannana pie and took it home with us (T.J. was happy when we shared with him today). We also went back up today to get Travis a father's day gift from there. I always get lots of interesting ideas from that store. Thanks for the adventure! Later, Amy

Family ties

2010-06-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Travis' mom was born in Albion, Idaho.
This is the theater Grandpa Jones ran.

Grandpa and Grandma Jones

Grandpa and Grandma Brownlee

We all went to the cemetery in Wendell, Idaho

It was so great to go to Wendell for Kristie's wedding because it gave us all an excuse to get together again. Travis spent many of his summer's here with his Grandpa Jones and tells great stories about milking cows and watching movies and well I can't decribe it all. Lol! Travis is very proud of his Grandpa and it was nice to see a part of all of these wonderful people's past. Also on the way home we went to Albion, Idaho and seen his Grandma's old house and ate lunch there. Thank you for the memories and sharing with us! Later, Amy

Kristie's wedding

2010-06-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

Gail walking her down the aisle
Mr. and Mrs.

Travis and cousin Laurie

Mary pinning flower on Gail

Ok so none of these have been edited but I thought I should post them here since she was married on May 22nd, sorry it has taken me so long but here are some of the pics I took while there. It was so wonderful to see family and be able to visit we had a lot of fun and are glad we were able to attend. We were so happy Laurie was able to make it down as well as Aunt Barbara and everyone else we seen while there. Later, Amy

Bridal Shower!

2010-06-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so I really late posting these but I had my sister's bridal shower for her on May 30, 2010 to celebrate her upcoming marriage on June 25, 2010. We had so much fun and it was even better because I got to go wild! I did a pink and zebra print (or black and white) theme which made shopping for decorations lots of fun for me. She went to the hot pools in Lava Hot Springs and then we had soup and and really great fruit tray for dinner then lots of games, including pin the dress on the bride and "know" your bride. Thanks for a fun party gals! Later, Amy

behind again

2010-05-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

Ok I am really behind again with the trip to New Mexico and three straight days in the car have wiped me out. I had a nice visit with family and wished I could have stayed longer. Mom and I threw Sandi's bridal shower yesterday also which was a lot of fun. Travis' step-mom Shirley and her daugher Deanne were both there and helped us tremendously with dinner and a big beautiful fruit tray. I made a "tres leches" cake for the first time and it was really good; it is a 3 milk cake traditional for a mexican style cake. We are also still anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hailey's new little girl but she has still not delivered. Later, Amy

Reception fun!

2010-05-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding reception in Blackfoot for Travis' step brother (Larry's son and daughter in law) and had a lot of fun! They had a whole roasted pig, lots of dutch oven potatoes and cobblers and a water slide for the kids to enjoy. Thanks Eldon we loved it! Sorry I didnt get very many pictures I have been sick all weekend. Later, Amy

The animals are back!

2010-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so there is a story to this; Travis took Trevor with him last Friday to the cattle sale, we wanted 2 new beef cows to carry throught the summer into fall like we did last year. Travis did not find the cows at auction after over 4 hours of sitting there so he went to a private seller to get our cows at a good rate per pound now here is where the story gets interesting. Trevor wandered all over the farm while Travis and his dad Denny delt with the cows. Trevor climbed hay stacks and discovered baby kittens and chicken eggs and had a lot of fun. He was not leaving that farm without a chicken! LOL! Now here is the story, I wanted chickens last year and my loving husband said no chickens they are dirty and gross! Our dear son got his dad to let him bring home a baby chicken; of course chickens are not solitary animals so we had to buy 4 more chicks from McKee's. He is up early every morning and asks Travis to walk out with him and let him feed his chick so even though we dont love chickens (because they are dirty) we now have chickens. Travis, my dear husband, you are a pushover! LOL! Trevor named our cows, the black one is Licorice and the black and white one is Polka Dot; the littlest white chick is his and name Chickie. Thanks little man for gettting Daddy to let you bring a chicken home! Later, Amy

p.s.

2010-05-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hailey is getting ready to have her baby girl; she is saying any day now so hopefull soon so we can visit them when we go to the wedding next week!

school days

2010-05-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

our yarn doll

kneading the bread

dipping a candle

a funny play

sharing lunch

playing foot ball

We are winding up this school year all ready and Eric is sooo excited to be out in a few weeks! Trevor and I were lucky enough to get to see a small play from some of the students last Friday and then walk to the park for lunch with Eric. Trevor and Eric played some and we had a great time out. Also today I took off from work for pioneer days at school; Eric's class got to make candles, yarn dolls and bread (yes, from scratch)! It was really fun to be able to go and help him and some of his classmates through these fun activities. Later, Amy

Motorcycles

2010-05-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

Travis all ready to ride

This is some sort of car converted to a trike.

A large row of bikes!

Ok so I am a little late posting this one but last Saturday I went out in the freezing cold and rode with my dear hubby, who I must love a lot, to Idaho Falls for an awareness rally. A rally held for over 15 years to make motorists more aware of motorcycles. Again I must point out that I really love that crazy man I am married too! I looked scary probably because I was so bundled up and puffy on the back of that bike but I didn't even care. Once we got there there was no inside building to hang out in and it spit rain and hail on us for a little bit but not the whole time and I was wise enough to wear my new rain coat Travis bought me so it didn't bother me a whole lot. I must say we wimped out and put the motorcycle in the trailer and rode home in the warm truck of a friend from Pocatello who drives behind the motorcycles to help with any technical issues or injuries (thank goodness he was not needed for either one). I must say there were over 300 hundred motorcycles riding through Idaho Falls, Idaho and it was an amazing sight. I wish I would have taken my camera but I didn't want it ruined; I am going to have to buy a little cheap one to take on the bike or when Travis gets his saddle bags put on the bike I will have room to take a little more stuff. LOL! I am sure he is looking forward to my girl things all over his saddle bags, but we all make sacrifices. :) There were some pretty amazing bikes and some very interesting people there; one man had a trailer behind his bike for his dogs to ride in, one man was paralyzed and had a platform to the side of the motorcycle for him to ride in with someone else driving and last but not least a man with some sort of leg injury had a car that looked like a huge Trike (3 wheeled) bike driving down the road. It is never dull in the life of a Mrs. Jones! LOL! Later, Amy

What month is it?

2010-05-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ok so honestly I thought there was a possibility this morning that they may cancel school; now that is saying something because Eric is in fourth grade and never had a snow day. Yes I said a snow day! It was snowing so bad this morning that you could barely see anything. Alas, poor Eric did not get a snow day today but we have more snow this morning than in all of December I think. LOL! My poor husband had the worst turn out for a car auction at Denny's Wrecker this morning also because of the blizzard going on outside. I can't believe this crazy weather but the snow will all melt off by this afternoon and it will probably be 60 degrees tomorrow;p its amazing we don't all have ammonia. Later, Amy

Environmental Fair

2010-04-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

The whole family got to go the environment fair in Pocatello last Saturday, the kids had a blast and Travis and I got some excercise (much needed!) It was a bunch of booths with different information about ground water, polution, recycling and reusing things. The kids got lots of little prizes and played games as they learned. The highlight of the day, meeting Wall-e of course! The kids were so excited and he even talked to them. Then it got windy and we got tired of walking and left but we were there for over 2 hours! Later, Amy

I am behind again!

2010-04-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Ok so I still don't have my Easter pics posted but I have decided I need to keep moving forward with my post so sorry I will still try to post but I dont have them done yet. I have been working on wedding stuff for Adam and Sunni and the bridal shower stuff for Sandi and Sunni. Yesterday we were honored again by the Bigfoot team and were allowed to tow this "monster truck" to the Make A Wish Foundation home for a special kid in the Pocatello area. Every year for three years we have towed this truck through town to a special kid to make their wish come true. It is such a great thing and our kids loved it too! The driver, Larry was kind enough to let us take some pictures with the kids and we have pit passes to go see all the trucks and drivers on Saturday at the Holt Areana; the boys can't wait to go but I could think of funner things to do with my Saturday, LOL! So that is our busy night on Thursday and while the truck was parked out front of the home Grandpa and Grandma Jones took us out to dinner. It was a great time spent with them and we really enjoyed the whole night out. We are planning on taking our "special" pictures with us on Saturday so they can be signed by the driver. Later, Amy

Old Ties

2010-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ok so these two crazy ladies are some old friends from high school, Jenni and Eliza and recently we have decided that we need to do better at keeping in touch since we are all only about 30 minutes away from each other. We try to get together once a month, which seems easy enough but with our busy lives it is very hard to do. It doesnt help that when we get together we sit and talk for hours on end and it is just like we are in high school again! Lol! It has been so great to be able to have one night a month that is just for me and it is really nice to be able to reconnect with these wonderful ladies on a regular basis. I really enjoy their friendship and the joy they bring to my life. Thanks for a wonderful night ladies! Later, Amy

Five Wonderful Years

2010-04-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Travis and I celebrated our fifth year wedding anniversary on April 2nd this year. Lacey was wonderful enough to watch the little ones for us overnight; which is quite a chore. Travis surprised me with an overnight stay at a local hotel and a candle light dinner when we got there. He did a great job keeping it a surprise and it was a wonderful night away from the normal for us. The boys joined us the next morning to "swim" in the hot tub! Lol! I am very grateful for this easy going, easy to get along with man in my life and I would be lost without him. I thank him for putting up with my crazy ways and mood swings, lol! He has done so much for me and our children and is a truly wonderful man to be married to. Later, Amy

guests?

2010-04-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

ok so I think these are the funniest animals I have ever seen, we are holding them in our pasture this winter for my cousin and her husband. It is not a lot of work since they are really good about taking care of them but we do get a lot of comments on the appearance of these Highlander cows, I just call them yaks! Lol! Also I am very excited, tomarrow is our wedding anniversary, five whole years together! Lacey is kind of enough to watch the boys overnight and we just get to hang out, the two of us, together. Also is it Easter weekend so the boys are pretty excited as well. Later, Amy

Spring, not yet!

2010-03-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ok waking up Saturday morning to this was not my idea of starting of the weekend great! Lol! I can't believe it snowed so much overnight, I mean I knew winter was not over (hello we live in Idaho) but I was just hoping it was over! LOL! My dad, Larry, blamed Travis for riding his bike home a couple of weeks ago when the weather was so nice and ever since the weather has been so cold and bleak! We told him to go put the motorcycle back into storage! The snow was very beautiful and it melted away by that afternoon; typical Idaho weather in the spring. Later, Amy

Angel's 6 th birthday!

2010-03-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Our little granddaughter Angel turned six this month and we celibrated with a pool party! Hailey, Travis' step-daughter called and invited the boys and I to swim while Travis was at work and we gladly accepted. Travis was able to join us later for ice cream sandwhiches; I can't believe how big this little girl has gotten! She is a gentle and kind girl (at least while around us! lol). Thanks for letting us celebrate with you! Later, Amy

basement updates!

2010-03-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are still working on this poor basment and probably will be for another year, lol! I am very excited to announce that we have a wall and the door framed in for the wash room, we have taken down part of the wall when you walked down the stairs on the right side and had to build about a foot and half out from the old wall coming from Eric's room and have the family room down stairs framed in now. I took these pictures before the electrical boxes and outlets were up but that is half done for the hallway, wash room and family room. Travis' Mom helped us out with the electrical supplies to keep the project up and running, which we greatly appreciate. Now we have to work on getting the insulation up on the outside walls so we can dry wall. I am very excited to be able to use this space soon. Later, Amy

Happy Birthday Trevor

2010-03-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

As usual I am late in posting Trevor's birthday pictures, my baby turned 4 on Febuary 26, 2010. He is getting so big! His only request for his birthday, a big green 4 on his cake and 4 candles, so not one candle shaped like a 4! Lol! He certainly knows what he wants and is not afraid to tell you. He had a lot of guests at his party and got some great gifts, including Play Dough which I acutally let him play with now! Lol! I hate the mess of play dough but he is pretty clean with it and so far it has not ended up in my carpet (hoping that continues). Later, Amy

A day out with friends

2010-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Travis' friend Shane called up and asked us to meet him in Lava Hot Springs and we do not need much motivation to take the kiddos there so we agreed to meet him. Shane lives on the other side of Lava and it was kind of middle ground for both of us. Shane brought his son and his soon to be step son and with our two boys we had a hand full for sure! Lol! It was a ton of fun and great to see an old friend and just relax for a little bit. Our boys love the really warm water but once little Trevor gets to hot his will only sit on the side of the little pools or on the steps. Eric is a fish and doesnt care if it is to hot he will swim all day and night there. Later, Amy

happy valentine's dad

2010-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

ok so I know I am late posting......still, but I am trying to catch up and do better at blogging and keeping you out of towners up to date. I had a lot of fun with Trevor decorating cookies for Travis and Eric wanted nothing to do with pink frosting or decorating, only eating the cookies. Lol! Trevor had a tough time helping as well because the frosting kept getting all over his fingers and he didn't like them being sticky! He totally cracks me up and reminds me why we have more than one child after the misery of being pregnant. I have gotten lazy (or smarter) and bought my sugar cookies already made so don't think less of me for it but I do not have time during the day to make the dough, bake it and decorate it so to spend more time with the kiddos and less time being frustrated over how big they drop the cookie dough onto the sheet we went store bought base with a great frosting and treats on top. Travis really loved them, although the kids helped themselves, and Trevor was so proud of what he had made. Later, Amy

family ties

2010-03-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

So Travis had the wonderful idea to make Denny a quilt with these iron on Denny's trucks that he found at the shop so my mom and I went to work at it for him. We had iron on's on each orange and white squares then in the middle of the quilt we were able to get old pictures of Denny out on tow calls and working with new trucks and such over the last 30 years or so and put those on his quilt as well. Travis and everyone at the shop couldn't wait to see Denny's face when we gave him the quilt. It was truely a work of love and we are so happy the he loved it. Denny will not even use the quilt and is waiting for Shirley to buy a quilt rack so he can hang it up in his "fishing" room at his house. Thanks everyone for all the help to pull this together for Denny! Later, Amy

vet!

2010-03-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Trevor was in charge of the camera so not the greatest pics but he is my little budding artist. We took Tinker at about 5 months to the vet for just a general check-up, no shots or anything and she got her claws clipped. she did good with the leash and being around other dogs and cats in the office. The kids really enjoyed it as well since they got the fruit roll-ups and treats as well. I have been "yelled' at for not keeping up with this blog so I will be working on doing a better job at this and keeping up all up to date. I also will be changing my settings here so you can leave a comment without having a "blogger" account just remember everyone can see your comments so dont post something you dont want to be public. Thanks for your patience with me, Later, Amy

new style for learning

2009-12-12T20:58:00.001-08:00

Eric's science class is learning about animal classification. The teacher let the kids bring in family pets so they could compare how they are different and the same. I admit I was nervous about taking a 4 month old puppy into a classroom with over 20 kids but the dog did great with the leash and some dog treats. Eric really loved being able to share about his pet and have everyone in class pet her and ask us all kinds of questions. Later, Amy

Do you remember when.....

2009-12-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

I remember spending hours outside in the snow as a little girl just running and playing, but I do not spend time outside now. I hate the cold and the snow is everywhere in my house melting on my floors and getting my socks wet! Lol! After we got some Christmas decorations up my kiddos got dressed up warm and the puppy and them headed outside for some fun. As you can see there was no shortage of fun even though Trevor didnt like his new "tow truck" pants (like Dad's) to get dirty with the snow. It was great to see them out and about having fun like I remember having as a kid. Later, Amy

We put up our tree.

2009-12-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

I love putting up the Christmas tree! It makes the season fee offically kicked off and running now. I have never went overboard with the decorations for my house but the tree is big and new every year. This year the theme is Nascar racing and the guys in my house are loving it; my Mom made a Dale Sr. tree skirt for us and we went crazy with the cars and drivers. I have a "fake" tree this year with a four month old puppy I was not crazy enough to get a real tree and have it on the floor. I look at having the puppy almost like having a new baby so my tree went back up on the end table this year; I think out of sight out of mind and so far that has worked for me. I hope everyone has this much family fun putting up their tree this year! Later, Amy

Parade of Lights

2009-12-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

We once again this year decorated a simple float and walked behind handing out candy canes to kick off the holiday season. I love being in the parade rather than sitting in the very cold air watching it; that way I stay warm and busy and the kids dont have to be tied down. We love having the opurtinity to represent Denny's Wrecker and be able to spend time together as a family while we work. This is a beautiful parade that has been going on for many years where floats are all covered in lights and decked out for the Holiday season. Later, Amy

Our new car

2009-12-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

A blue two door with heated leather seats and a sun roof! My boys, and yes that includes my husband, loves it even more than I do! LOL! I am just grateful to have a car that drives and so far it has been good in the snow for me. Just an update on that for everyone. Later, Amy

City of Rocks

2009-12-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

Okay so I have lived in Idaho my whole life and never been to the City of Rocks until my Mom and Husband decided we needed to take a day trip on 11/7/09 and go there. We had a ton of fun hiking and climbing up on some rocks and even just driving around and finding funny shapes or faces in all the rocks. We also hit Lake Cleveland, which if you have never been is an expeirance for sure! It is so high up that in early November there was snow on the ground and the lake was frozen over. We almost froze and the road is long, windy and curvy; not great for someone who gets motion sickness! Lol! It is like driving on the top of the world to get there; it was a truly scary (I am not afraid of heights but I did not like to look down and see miles of mountain staring back up at me) and amazing ride up to Lake Cleveland and I will never forget it. I guess if you go in June or July when it is really hot here in the valley the weather is just right at Lake Cleveland at about 75 to 85 degrees. Later, Amy

I am here

2009-12-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

I am soooo behind everyone, I am still doing my blog but everything has been so crazy lately. i just wanted to come on and update some info really quick and I promise I will do better. We had a really great Halloween and lots of stuff to spoil us! Thank you for everyone who shared it with us. We got to see a lot of family this Halloween as always. Later, Amy

Halloween!

2009-10-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom and I were lucky enough to be able to go to the Halloween party for our Chubbuck Lions Club last night and I had a ton of fun, although I missed my hubby who was home with the sick kiddo. Trevor had the flu but seems to be doing much better now. My Mom went as a scare crow and I went as a Hippie; we both won prizes for our costumes and I won for most original food when I made my "kittie litter" cake and took it for everyone to enjoy. It is great cake, really moist but it looks like a litter box, poop and all, I loved it! Later, Amy

Beauty abounds

2009-10-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hi, the kids and I took a stroll around our block on Saturday and I took my camera. I am so grateful to live where I do; we are five minutes away from a store and on a dead end street full of mature trees and shrubs. We even have pheasants on our street most of the time. I really had a good time and even managed to get the kids out of the house for thirty minutes! Lol! Later, Amy

new shelves

2009-10-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

My husband was kind enough to hang two new shelves in the kitchen, this is the space the washer and dryer used to be in and it will eventually be closed behind doors. Later, Amy

Home improvements continue

2009-10-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ok so we were caught a little off gaurd by the cold weather and I have been running around like a chicken trying to get some things taken care of with the house to help winterize a little more. I got new curtins up over the big window in the kitchen finally under my valance that has been up for a while. I was very excited over having them up to help cut down on the cold coming in from the huge window. Also Travis made the mistake of showing me that the previous owners of the house had left us a big, heavy and beautiful screen door in the back shed so I convinced him we should put it up. He and his friend Terry installed it last night in the freezing cold but it looks really great and I am so excited to have it up to help keep out some of the cold and be able to still get great light in the living room in the afternoon on the rare warm days left! They did a great job and Travis has been a great sport helping me with some of the "taller" projects I get us into. Lol! Later, Amy

Winter is here!

2009-10-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ok some of you may not know it but winter is here! We woke up to snow that actually stuck on the ground and it was still snowing yesterday morning for hours into our work day. Sometimes I really hate being where it is cold so much out of the year but then I remember that not more than 15 minutes away is beautiful spot for a family outing no matter what direction I go in. Later, Amy

Work it!

2009-10-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lol, my Mom thought this was the cutest thing and just had to ask my when Trevor started doing it and I had to tell her I had never seen him do it before! He was doing push ups both front and back, then he would lie on his back and lift his legs up high. It was very cute but proves that he can't be mine or Travis' and was switched at birth with someone's family! Lol! Just kidding, we love this kid and he keeps us on our toes. Later, Amy

City Creek, Pocatello, Idaho

2009-10-02T15:23:00.001-07:00

Who know this was here? I have lived in Pocatello for 11 years and didn't know we had huge trails and roads (if you can call it that!) right in town practically! My friend Jenni say a post on a blog for some photos taken here so Travis and I packed up the kids and the puppy last night and went for an evening drive. The road was a bit rough but after about 2 miles it has lots of pretty trees and a little creek running along the side of the road. It was a good night out with the family. Later, Amy

Ice man!

2009-10-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

This just proves every parents thoughts, kids don't care how cold it is outside as long as they don't have school they will be outside playing! Lol! Eric was out of school this Thursday and Friday and yesterday when I walked out my back door to check on him it took me a minute to figure out what I could see on the trampoline with him. It was ice that he had broke up jumping on it. It has been very cold here and we even got a little snow Wednesday night that melted off by morning. Later, Amy

POW-MIA

2009-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

What a great thing these guys do and since Travis got his Harley he has decided to join and ride with them. They do great things, like rides for funds for cw hog and toys for tots, as well as riding for returning military men and women in our local area. It is great and I am glad to see him enjoying it so much! Later, Amy

Nap time

2009-09-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

This it the cutest thing! We took a road trip today to Tincup, Idaho outside of Thayne, WY to vistit my dad. It was fun and a lot of work with a small puppy! The boys loved it because they could play outside in the dirt without getting in trouble. The yellow jackets and hornets were very bad up there and Trevor got stung right on the nose! Adam and his girlfriend Sunnie were there with her three girls and one of them got stung right on the lip! Ouch! We had a lot of fun and it is beautiful with the leaves turning colors now. Later, Amy

New house memeber!

2009-09-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Travis with Tinker!

Eric and Tinker!

Travis' friend Jeff's huge 7 month old dog Riddick; Tinker didn't like him much!

Ok all, you convinced me! Ok, not really but how can you pass by those adorable little puppies in the window at the pet store; so yes we got a puppy today! The kids are so excited and I am so terrified of the little thing howling all night long until she is old enough to go outside for the night. Her name is Tinker and she is a six week old yellow lab. Trevor was upset at first that we didn't get him a chocolate lab like he wanted but he has warmed up the her really fast. We are very excited about the new house member and hope to have lots of fun with her. Later, Amy

Pets?

2009-09-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, if any of you know we are debating the pet situation. We have a huge yard and two very energetic boys but I am still hesitent due to the #2 being all over my yard and someone having to clean it (I am betting that someone will be me) I also am not a fan of pet hair which comes with the #2 in the yard. We were at my sister's house today and she has two cats and just seeing little Trevor wanting to love the kitty broke my heart. Trevor tortured the cat but he took it all in stride and was very good with Trevor tormenting him. So Sandi's neighbor has a dog that she really has to get rid of since her son is gone now and we are looking at taking the dog. I do hesitate since the dog is about 10 months old and a little high strung since right now it is confined to a very small back yard and a very little kennel most of the time. So any advice on that would be appreciated. Later, Amy

House work!

2009-09-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

It is not pretty folks but there used to be two large holes right here that are now large mismatched drywall! I hope it looks better after tape and mud.

This is a very ugly and generic light cover but it works and came with the seal for the shower. Travis could do nothing but laugh at my great concern over the ugliness of this light cover!

Ok, I thought I would post and let everyone know what we are doing. I am just keeping busy with work, two kids, a husband and a big house and yard, no biggie! Lol! Travis and I finally got the light covers on the shower lights; they are not my favorite but are functional and the only "shower" light covers for a cam in all of Lowe's. Also i have been busy doing repairs and fixes as well as trying to control the wasp population at our house. I finally put the dry wall back into place and repaired the holes from moving the washer and dryer downstairs and capping off the water lines in the kitchen wall, so I don't have to see pipelines in my kitchen when I cook now! Yah! We have a friend coming over in the next few days to tape and mud the repairs I just did. I also torn out the caulk from around the bathtub upstairs and re-caulked it and since I had my upstairs bathroom all torn apart, I did a deep cleaning of the floors and base boards. So not a lot of fun but I hope I can keep up with this house. We are starting to rearrange the kitchen for the pantry to be put in place and doors put up to cover up the mess but I have a feeling that it is still a few months out, lol! Later, Amy

Hi

2009-09-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

I was just online really quick tonight will Travis is working late and thought I would post. Fyi for everyone I am now on facebook as well but very slow at it still and don't really get it, but I am there and it is nice seeing old friends from high school and what is going on in their lives. Later, Amy

Fair time!

2009-09-13T18:42:00.001-07:00

We went to the fair last Tuesday and rode some rides but mostly we went through the farm areas and petting zoo. The kids loved all the animals, even the stinky pigs that Trevor wanted to visit again and again. McKee's was there with the petting zoo and we love all their friendly animals. We also seen animals racing, yes folks, pigs, ducks, goats and chickens racing each other. It was very funny!

Later, Amy

My little explorer!

2009-09-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

So Trevor brought me his cute little plastic ice cream cone and then told me he brought me a present. I, as a mother, accept all presents offered no matter what it turns out to be; even grasshoppers! Yes, he had a grasshopper hiding inside of his plastic ice cream cone and was so very careful and gentle with it that you just couldnt be upset over it. It was very sweet of him to bring it in and share it with him mom, who obviously doesnt get outside as much. Later, Amy

Larry is home

2009-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am sure most of you know, since I am way behind in posting but Larry came home on August 25th and was very excited to do so. He is looking really great and doing well. We all went out to dinner together tonight and really enjoyed sitting around and visting with each other. We are very grateful to have him around a little bit longer. P.S. Don't say anything about that messy hair in the hospital! Lol! Later, Amy

Posting pic finally

2009-08-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am finally getting some pics up from the Brownlee family Reunion the first weekend in August and the next week in August we went to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah while we were down there. It's not a lot of pics but I am still trying to get all caught up on everything. Later, Amy

quick update

2009-08-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am skipping work to even have time to post this but just a quick update, not a lot of new news though. Larry is doing much better but still having some issues. Larry is off the ventilator now but still not on solid food (not even liquids) he is on a feeding tube still and has some sores in his throat from the tube. He is not happy about not being able to eat and when we visited on Sunday was sad the kids couldnt go see him also, he even asked about little Trevor. He was talking about 8 foot watermelons and fish legs; so the sooner he can get on some foods the better. Lol! He has not had any complications from all the surgeries in the tummy areas so that is great that no infection has gotten in there. Juanita said it will be another 2 or 3 weeks before they will talk about letting him come home from Salt Lake City but we are just happy to see him up and about. We appreciate all the help from Juanita's family and especially her sisters staying with her and helping us have some more peace of mind about her being so far away from us; and for their families making sacrifices so they can be away from home. Later, Amy

all is well

2009-08-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am still alive! Lol! I am super busy, we had the family reunion on the Brownlee side and then Larry, Travis' step-dad had surgery on Tuesday and was taken by life flight to Salt Lake City (that was a week ago) So as you can imagine we have not been home much and still are trying to work. We drove to Salt Lake City last Tuesday and waited hours for him to get out of surgery, he made it thru some how. We all had to work the next day so we drove home very late Wednesday morning. He went back into surgery Friday and surprised even the doctors with his fighting strength and they said he was holding his own. Juanita's sisters were able to stay with her from Tuesday thru yesterday. We went back down and stayed Saturday and Sunday in Salt Lake with the kids and took them to Hogle Zoo since a hospital is a hard place to hang out in for two little ones. We drove back Sunday night and I worked half a day yesterday but I couldnt stand Juanita being up there alone on Monday when he had another surgery so my Mom drove me back down yesterday afternoon and I stayed the night there with Juanita. Larry did well in the surgery yesterday, they closed the muscle to his stomach back up but not the skin yet as they are worried about infection. He is still on a ventalator tube and Juanita came home with me today to take care of some bills and paper work at her job then she will go back to Salt Lake City tomarrow afternoon and stay there probably until they release Larry. We hope to have him out of ICU within four or five days but he is not out of the woods so we are not sure when they will even remove the breathing tube yet. Just an update for everyone and an fyi that I will post as much as possible but probably be in SLC this weekend. Later, Amy

Memorial baseball tournament

2009-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so once again this year (yes it is already here) we spent this weekend at NOP Park in Pocatello with 18 baseball teams for the Brad Jones/ Bob Prescott Memorial baseball tournament. It is a great tournament and teams come from all over to join; the money raised goes to the Lions Club and is used for charities. This is something that Travis' nephew Kory has started to really run with Laeloni, his mom and Travis' sister. They do a great job and it is a lot of work but come Sunday evening we are mostly in tears. Kory's team placed 3rd this year which was really exciting and the 2nd place went to a team from Arco and the 1st place to a team right here in Pocatello. Travis and I were really able to relax and enjoy oursleves because my mom and dad had the boys for a camping trip over the weekend. It was very hot outside and we sat under the portable canopy Travis and I bought this year (I still managed a great sunburn!) Kory's team donated the plaque to Brad's mom (aka Travis' Mom) at the awards ceromony and it was really worth the two days in the sun. Later, Amy

trimming

2009-07-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

Trim around the door to rest of basement.

Beautiful storage cabinet at amazing price!

Our corner trim pieces.

Our custom painted light and outlet covers.

The trim around the shower door.

I am so excited to be getting some of the finishing details up in the bathroom downstairs. Travis and I put up the trim around the floor and the doors. My dad Larry also helped us put together this very beautiful cabinet today and got it in the bathroom, so now I can have my towels downstairs in my bathroom! We also finally got the cover on the light/vent/heater on the ceiling; not that we need a heater in this 100 degree weather! We still have a few little things to see to but we are in the last stretch for the bathroom to be called done for good. Later, Amy

Our national bird

2009-07-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

Travis sent this beautiful picture to me from Alaska while he was there and since he didnt take many photos this year I thought this one was note worthy. Later, Amy

working men

2009-07-17T19:48:00.001-07:00

We visited Grandma Margaret at her work and the boys thought it was soooooo funny to wear her hair net. These pics. just crack me up and they were so proud to be like Grandma. The things that entertain kids remind me to keep things simple and enjoy life more for what it is, the little moments that make you smile. Later, Amy

American Falls Dam

2009-07-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am improvising with my photos right now, trying to find the time and energy to get into my new picture program and get caught up but right now this early shift at work is very draining. My little brother T.J. took the kids and I below the American Falls dam to show us how high the water actually is; they are dumping out water faster than I can remember ever seeing. It is an amazing and scary sight. The boys loved it though because it is a hike to go to the upper levels here. It was great and I am glad my little brother reminds me of the amazing things going on outside of my own little world. Later, Amy

computer issues

2009-07-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I promise to post really soon. The computer has been down for weeks with no internet off and on. I also lost my photo files so I bought a new photo program and will be up and running soon. Summer is so busy for us and Travis is down 2 drivers at work so he is never home and always on call. We are all doing really good and just keeping busy this summer. Later, Amy

Sugar Cookies

2009-06-25T19:15:00.001-07:00

Well we have to keep busy while Travis is out of town so we made sugar cookies and let the kids help frost them. It was a lot of fun and Trevor and Eric both love cooking; maybe their future wives will thank me some day. Lol! Later, Amy

Rolling with whatever works

2009-06-25T19:06:00.001-07:00

Hey all I can say in my defense is at least he is eating dinner and sometimes we will do whatever it takes to get them to eat! Lol! I thought these were for swimming! Our silly boys just thought this was so funny that Trevor wear these while trying to eat. Later, Amy

Zoo fun

2009-06-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Bison

The Elk
Eric and Trevor walking up the paths of the zoo.

Eric is a total animal lover! He never gets enough information about all kinds of animals, today on his birthday Grandma Margaret took them to our very small town zoo in Pocatello while I was at work. Our zoo has a great program where for just a few dollars they have educational backpacks for your child to take around the zoo and when you check it back in your kids get a certificate saying they completed that course for the backpack; how fun for the kids. We are going to the Idaho Falls zoo tomorrow with my friend Jenni and her kids while I am off work to take him. Later, Amy

9 years ago today

2009-06-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Eric! It was nine years ago today that you were born. I love and cherish you for everything that you are and will be. Daddy and I are so very proud of what a big brother you are and how much you help with Trevor. You are becoming so independent wanting things your own way and making such great choices. We are having a big party on Sunday with Eric's friends and family but we had cake today to celebrate! Love you Eric, Mom and Dad

we have been keeping very busy

2009-06-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

The big toy at the park.
Trevor sitting on a rock

I use to have one of these toys at the playground at my grade school in American Falls. How fun to see the kids play on it.

Eric insisted on Grandma Margaret taking this picture. How cute!

Getting saphires in Phillipsburg, Montana at the mine.

So I have had computer problems for the last week and a half and have not been able to post all the fun stuff we have been doing to keep busy while Travis is away. Travis got to drive thru Canada to Alaska with his Dad this year and is loving being able to get away from work and just fish! My parents took the boys this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and took a trip to the Phillipsburg, Montana saphire mines. Eric told Grandpa Larry how sapphires are made inside volcanoes and blown out during an eruption (something we didnt know and he did). Grandpa was very surprised. It rained and rained and snowed and hailed on them so they ended up coming home late Monday and staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The kids loved it and I got to dog sit for mom and dad; it is safe to say the dog and I did not bond well. Lol! I also moved Eric into his bedroom downstairs in the basement; now with a working toilet his is able to stay down there even unfinish because his room was finished already when we bought the house. He is adjusting and so is Trevor to having to go to bed all by theirselves. Trevor got his room redone in Nemo and Eric in Star Wars (I will post pics soon!) Later, Amy

working bathroom

2009-06-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

Travis picked out these lovely light covers; they are a dark brown when turned off.

A door knob!

The sink and cabinet with the hand towel bar.

The sink and new toilet.

The shower heads are here!

Ok, so we are so excited to be so close to finishing the bathroom downstairs finally. The plumber came out last friday and installed the sink, toilet and showers! We can now use our bathroom! We have some finishing touches and details to see to but we have already showered in the huge new shower and it makes it worth all the work that went into it. Lol! We still have trim to put up and shelves to install, a medicine cabinet to hang.....well u get the idea. We love it and it is still a work in progress. Later, Amy

working hard?

2009-06-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ok so Grandpa Larry put the boys to work shoveling the gravel for the drive way but some how I don't think they minded. Trevor even had a short shovel just his size and Eric was sure to add to the pile quickly. Later, Amy

shopping

2009-06-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, if you know me, you know I love to shop! Lol! Who doesn't? Well, little Trevor got a bag, some money and his shoes on (you know this doesn't happen for just anything) and asked everyone what they wanted to drink because he was going to go to the store to get something to drink. It was sooooo cute; oh, I forgot to mention that he also had to have the car keys! I am rolling on the floor laughing at this little one and he is very serious. He is doing great potty training by the way; telling us when he needs to pee but hasn't gotten the other side down as well. Each day is another step towards no more diapers! He is getting so big! Later, Amy

Bathroom...

2009-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so some of you asked about the progress of our bathroom downstairs; not a lot to report unfortunatly but it is painted and we have the door hung (no knob yet!) We are in the process of painting the trim for the doors and floor and the plumber will be in shortly so we are in the home stretch! I can't wait for everything to be finished, then it is on to the family room down stairs! We have a lot of work to do with an unfinished basement and I don't think we would survive building an entire house together! Lol! I can't wait to be able to use the down stairs. Later, Amy

Party time!

2009-05-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

Lacey, Travis and Hailey
Eric loved the giant water slide!

Travis' Mom, Aunts and Uncles

Trevor really loved the hats for table decorations.

An entire pig!

Here are some quick pics from the party Saturday; we had a ton of fun with a gaint water slide and a whole rosted pig (a bit much for some to eat after seeing it!) We had a very fun day filled with lots of friends and family. The girls had friends come and we loved seeing everyone. Grandma Shirley and Aunt DeAnn did a fine job planning and getting the whole thing to come together. Travis was in heaven and had family from all around Idaho and Boise come to show their support. All of the hard work paid off for us in being able to visit and hang out the entire day. Later, Amy

Graduation!

2009-05-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Lacey and Travis before Graduation at I.S.U.
Lacey, Eric and Trevor outside I.S.U.

Lacey getting her diploma!

The very long walk back to her chair from the stage.

Lacey and cousin Shelby before gratduation.

Hi everyone, as promised here are a few pictures from the graduation. They are still rough since I have had no time to do anything since, lol! We are so proud of Lacey and yes, she brought her daddy to tears when she graduated and walked across that stage to get her diploma. We also got to spend some time with Travis' step-daughter, Hailey and really enjoyed seeing her and the kiddos again. We were swamped Saturday with the party and were so happy so many of our friends and family came to show their support and love. Later, Amy

We're alive

2009-05-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! We didn't forget you but things have been crazy! We have been getting ready for graduation on Friday and the party on Saturday, as well as working full time and remodeling the bathroom (yes, still) We have paint on the walls finally and I am just finishing the trim for the floor and doors so it can go up then the installation work can begin for that and everything else. Eric is very busy in school and had his awards ceremony today. Trevor is in the mist of potty training, very reluctantly. Lacey is working full time and started college on the 18th of the month. She is doing very well and bought her lap top and signed up for an internet provider for her on-line class. She took the hardest class first to get it out of the way and is hoping to get the few basics in this summer in time to get into the fall program for massage therapy. We are very excited for her. I promise I will take a ton of photos for everyone! The internet has been for almost a month and the computer had to be taken in for repairs. Later, Amy

a handle on time

2009-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Ok so in our new house we have lots more room than our old so Travis and I have been wanting an over sized clock to fill the space on one wall. Apparently over sized clocks are also over priced; we looked and they run $75 and up. Well we are on a budget and even if we weren't I am not that person to spend large amounts of money on an accessory not a necessity, so I made a large clock for our house. My mom and I went to the craft store for some inspiration and actually found that they had a kit for $50; well, I am not that girl either. We bought the items on our own and found some great ways to cut money down and thanks to a friend introducing me to Mod Podge this year made our own clock for only $23. I am very proud of this thing and though it is not the most ornate clock it looks really great on our wall. This is one of the projects that I have taken time out of the yard work to complete. Later, Amy

working hard

2009-04-26T14:14:00.001-07:00

Ok so it has been a while but I have not fallen off the blog wagon, I promise. I am now working full time with Convergys and it is taking some getting use to after working part time for so long. We are also outside working in our huge yard so by the time we go to bed we just fall in and knock out! Lol! Everything is going very well still for us. The kids are really enjoying such a huge yard and so much room to run around in. Eric has some spring fever and is ready for school to be out; he has the count down on and reminds me of how little time I have left with just my little Trevor. He has about four weeks of school left is all. He is a busy little boy learning all about being sassy to his parents. I hope that it is a very short phase but feel there is more to come to humble us with being his parents. He is a special and talented child that I feel a strong urge to protect from the world and I am grateful for him every day. Trevor is getting so big! He likes to pick out his own clothes for the day now and will get them out of his dresser all by himself. He is so sweet and will come and sit next to me and tell me he loves me. Travis is busy as ever with work and the house but has also found time to buy a cow! Yes, a cow! I guess we are going to have a garden this year and a cow for the fall. The kids named our boy cow "Cheeto" but sometimes Trevor calls him steak and we let him because we dont want them to be to attatched to the cow. Trevor is still on a long road to potty training but we are trying to be patient and let him move at his own pace. Later, Amy

Easter

2009-04-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend even though we didn't work on the bathroom at all. We did yard work Saturday, it was wonderful weather here, so warm outside. We had the kiddos in the yard picking up rocks since there are hundreds of them all over our yard and we are afraid to mow the lawn until we can get them picked up (we really dont have grass yet either, just patches of grass, lol!) Sunday we had tons of fun going to Travis' mom's house for Easter and then we had everyone over to our house later in the evening for dinner and an egg hunt. I will post Easter pics later, but just wanted to get some of the family pics up done in our huge yard! Later, Amy

tile up

2009-04-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have not been lost, lol! We had a busy week and weekend. Thursday was Travis' and my wedding anniversary and we went out on Saturday to celebrate. It was nice to be able to hang with my wonderful hubby without worrying about the kiddos. Terry and Todd were nice enough to bring Kayden over and have a sleep over with our kids at the house while Travis and I went out to dinner and a Hotel. It was very nice to just kick back and watch t.v. without having to watch cartoons or yell at someone to be quite. Sunday we worked on cleaning out the thin set from the grout lines in the shower and we were able to get Terry and Tod to put the grout down on the floor in the bathroom so only the grout in the shower is left. Travis and I have also hit the 10 pound mark today! It has been going really slow on the diet and we struggle with it but we are still taking it one week at a time and the extra support from Travis' sisters and his work seem to keep us in line. We are excited and will continue to battle the bulge together. Later, Amy

chocolate

2009-03-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ok so funny story! We must really love chocolate at our house; I love the honesty of small children and then funny things they say. On Thursday I was getting Trevor dressed so I could take him to day care and Eric to school and it was very cold so I put on the only long sleeve shirt I could find at the time. It was a brown shirt with no pictures on it and Trevor looked down and said, "A chocolate shirt!" so I said, "yes a brown shirt" to which he again told me "yes, a chocolate shirt." It was so funny to me and later when I told Travis to ask him the color of his shirt he also told Travis it was chocolate! So here are some pics in his chocolate shirt playing wiht Dad and his big brother Eric. Later, Amy

a shower

2009-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

OK so I am soooo tired this will have to be a quick post. Todd and Travis laid down the tile floor on Saturday so that is done (needs grout). My Dad and I have been laying tile for 2 days (we started on Sunday) now after I get off work and I am working 8 hours a day. I took a permanent position as a coaching agent at Convergys; which I have already been doing for 4 months now as a temporary agent. We have four walls up with the tile and just the doorway to go. We will grout next (hopefully within the week) and be able to start installing everything else. I have weekends off for now; unless I take a shift on the weekends. I am still part-time but working more than my regular hours now. Later, Amy

Seniors

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hi I just thought I would post some pics I shot yesterday of Lacey and her cousin Shelby for their graduation party invitations. It was very cold outside with snow on the ground so thanks girls for meeting with me so we could get them started. Later, Amy

Tile

2009-03-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

The shower floor being laid down, it's a very pretty brown with specks of a lighter tan color in it.

This larger tan tile will be doing the bathroom floor and the shower walls with a 4 inch border of the brown on the walls of the shower.

The large tiles in the middle of the floor is all that have been laid right now because all of the rest of the tiles will need to be cut down to fit into the correct space. It is coming along but not fast enough if you ask me. I am getting very excited to see new progress after weeks of nothing being done in here. I hope we get a little further along this weekend than we did last weekedn and see at least the floor in the bathroom laid down. Once this is done we can really start getting everything else into place and have another bathroom in our house. I just thought I would give an update for everyone wondering what is going on at our house. Later, Amy

Snow again

2009-03-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

I shoveld the side walk this morning but I am not sure why because an hour later you could hardly tell that the snow was moved off from this side of the house! I didn't even bother to shovel the side walk out to the road and now I am glad I didn't. Lol!

This is our bbq grill where we just got it out and cooked yummy steaks on Saturday.

The trampoline where the kids spent all last week playing and jumping since it was soooo warm. I don't like the cold but the snow can be very beautiful.

The snow looked really beautiful on the chain link fence to the side of our house.

Hi, I know it has been a while but they had my shift changing about every 2 days last week and I am soooooo tired now. I do not know how we were ever young! I am not a morning person and I am now going to work some days at 6 a.m. it is pure misery for me and then I have to get the kids ready for bed and have family time so I am not getting to bed any earlier! Lol! Well enough complaining hopefully my shift will not be changing so much now. Well we woke up this morning to a ton of snow! We were running around Saturday in our shorts and t-shirts and then Sunday and Monday just awful; it is only going to be yucky weather all week. I am glad I didn't plant my flowers yet (and yes I will try to grow flowers here with my black thumb :) Later, Amy

nice weather finally

2009-03-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

ok so Sunday afternoon was beautiful here and we put our trampoline up at our house instead of at Grandpa and Grandma Waddoups' house. Our kids were so excited to finally have it in our back yard since we have had the trampoline for years at Grandpa's house. We really love having a huge yard that is all ours and Travis and I took some time and put up some solar lights along our side walk out front also. It is so wonderful and we are really enjoying having something all ours. Later, Amy

Happy Birthday Sammy

2009-03-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

Yes it was a weekend full of birthdays for us, it was my sisters little girl Samantha's birthday this Sunday March 15th and she turned 9! We had dinner, cake and ice cream. It was a lot of fun and filled with girls, girls, girls running all over the house. Later, Amy

Happy Birthday Lacey

2009-03-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! So my hubby is all torn up that his little girl is 18 and moving out into her first apartment. Lacey is 18 everyone and yes moved out of Grandma and Grandpa Denny's house already. She requested a rainbow sprikle with chocolate chips cake with cream cheese frosting for her party, which I gladly made but due to my diet did not eat, so I don't know if it was good folks (no one said anything about it being yucky!) We had a huge party, about 50 people, for her on Saturday March 14th (on her birthday) and had a moving out theme to all the gifts. She got some great advise and things needed for her new place. She will not have to buy dishes herself! She also got a big supply of 2 ply toilet paper since she would be too poor to buy anything but 1 ply after a while, lol. Travis is taking is very hard everyone and had some of us in the room in tears. I love this wonderful man and how much he cares for his family! Later, Amy

valentines pics

2009-03-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I just finished putting my kiddos valentine pics together. These turned out really great; thanks again Jenni for doing pics for me all the time. I am so bad our local Walgreens offered me a commercial account with them! Lol! Enjoy! Later, Amy

back packing

2009-03-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Trevor came out of Grandma's computer room wearing this backpack of Grandpa's. It was so funny and Grandpa decided to put the pack on and carry Trevor. Trevor loved it and made Grandpa run around for 20 minutes. Enjoy the pics Later, Amy

Amyology

2009-03-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this on someone's blog & thought it was kinda fun! Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your namefollowed by "ology"

FOOD-OLOGY

What is your salad dressing of choice? Ranch

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Food for Thought !

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? don't know i am picky

What are your pizza toppings of choice? sausage, pepperioni and olives

What do you put on your toast?Butter only

TECHNOLOGY

How many televisions are in your house?3--family room, & two of the bed rooms

What color cell phone do you have? silver and black

What does the first text message in your inbox say and who sent it? lol Sandi

BIOLOGY

Are you right-handed or left-handed? right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? nope

What is the last heavy item you lifted? shelves

BULLCRAPOLOGY

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? maybe, i have small chilren and would probably leave something special behind for them.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Rayne, its what i wanted to name my daughter but i am not having any more babies and have all boys

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?I would say yes, but i am a wimp

DUMBOLOGY

How many pairs of flip flops do you own? four, maybe

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? a couple years ago, no seat belt ticket

Last person you talked to in person: Eric, my son

Favorite Month? August

CURRENTOLOGY

Missing someone? i miss my Grandma Wilma

Mood? Emotional now,

What are you listening to? i listen to 98.5 but nothing now

Watching? Fav. show now is Eleventh Hour

Worrying about? getting Eric's school project done on time.

RANDOMOLOGY

Whats the last movie you watched? Egore

Do you smile often? not as much as i should

Do you always answer your phone? No way!

Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? Sandi

If you could change your eye color what would it be? wouldnt change

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? vanilla

Do you own a digital camera?yes

Have you ever had a pet fish? yes, only pet we have, hard to kill

Favorite Christmas song? little drummer boy

Whats on your wish list for your birthday? a night out

Can you do push ups? not unless i am forced to

Can you do a chin up?Definately not.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?In this economy, NERVOUS!

Do you have any saved texts?yes, 2

Ever been in a car wreck?Unfortunately, I have been in several

Do you have an accent? depends on which part of the country calls me, some say yes

What is the last song to make you cry? dont know
Plans tonight? dinner at mom's house
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? yes, sometimes
Name 3 things you bought yesterday? phone line, drawer pulls and drawer knobs
Have you ever been given a rose?yes
Current worry?Money
Current hate right now?Money
What song represents you? i am bad with names, sorry
What were you doing 12 AM last night?Sleeping
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? i hate this earlier work schedule

making cupcakes

2009-03-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is a ton of photos but really fun to look at. Trevor was at Grandma Margaret's house on Monday while she was reading a magazine and on the front of the magazine was cupcakes. He decided he needed to make some cupcakes himself! So Grandma got out the apron and let him have at it. He put the lines in the muffin pan, stirred the mix (including icky eggs), put them in the oven, then licked the spoon, tried frosting them (mostly he ate the frosting) and then shared with all of us his wonderful muffins with sprinkles on top. What a fun day that Grandma Margaret allowed him to have! Later, Amy

excited

2009-03-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, I feel so behind, so much has happened! First things, first, this Saturday I got my new washer and dryer from Sears! This is a long story but we got a front loading washer and dryer set for only 600.00 but the catch we had to wait until march 5th to get it and we bought it the day after Thanksgiving. Well March 5Th came around and we got a phone call saying there were more shipping delays and they wouldn't be in until April 16th! We couldn't wait that long since our old set was about to kick the bucket any day so I was not a happy person. I will tell you the persistence pays off especially when dealing with a large corporation. I went to the Sears store three times and called them everyday for a week and got nothing but the run around, but in speaking with soooooo many managers there I was immediately notified when another customer returned a washer and dryer set and went down and picked them up the next day. The washer was still in the box and we ended up switching the dryer (a gas hook up, we don't have) with the floor model at the store (an electric hook up which we can use). I am very happy to say I can now dry clothes faster than I can cook dinner and it is wonderful! Lol! I also finally got Travis to agree to put in some partial shelves up stairs in the dead space next to the washer and dryer where the pantry will be when we get the hook ups down stairs for the washer and dyer, so we will have full shelves there eventually but convincing him that I needed any shelves right now for storage took about a month! I was so happy all of that happened Saturday for me so I was already happy as a bug in a rug but then my hubby surprised my with tickets to Mystic Theater here in Chubbuck; we had wonderful prime rib and saw a collection of Broadway musicals (a song or two from each musical.) And I took my hubby's advise and wore a dress he loves and got tons of compliments about it, I knew he had good taste when he married me! Lol! I had a wonderful weekend and it was all worth the early mornings and frustration with this temporary schedule to hang out with my family the whole weekend. Later, Amy

Doing well

2009-03-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Well good news is Travis doesnt need surgery but bad news is we still dont know what is wrong. I am really enjoying the new work I am doing for the next couple weeks but it does leave Travis in charge of the kids in the morning and can be very entertaining for me to hear them getting ready for the day. Last Saturday I worked 8 hours and Travis took the boys to McKee's pet store, they love going there since the store has a "petting zoo" you can walk thru. I don't know why they call it a petting zoo since all the animals are comfy, cozy behind fences but the kids love it. Apparently they have a goose that was pecking at the fence if you go to close to it and Eric kept jumping out of the way of the goose. Well Travis thought he would be funny and offered to pay Eric a dollar to let the goose bite him! I know it is a Dad thing, lol! I almost died when Travis told me but what came next made me laugh so hard I almost wet myself. Eric, being my very smart and brilliant son, took a pair of gloves out of his coat pocket and said ok! Lol! Isn't that so funny; who carries gloves around and then actually thinks to use them so it won't hurt so bad to let the goose bite him! I am still laughing over this one people and just wanted to state how brilliant my little Eric is. Eric also got his hair cut today into a flat top which he loves. Next, I was at work one day this morning and heard Trevor jumping on our bed and Travis singing the "monkeys jumping on the bed" song, then I hear a big crash and Travis saying I told you the monkey fell off the bed! Lol! Travis then tells Trevor we won't call the doctor because he costs to much; the difference between mom's and dad's is amazing isn't it? Last one I wanted in here was yesterday Trevor had daycare and before he left big brother Eric was helping him put on his shoes. In a very funny but cute way; Trevor was lying down on the couch with both feet in the air and Eric was trying very hard to stuff his foot into his little shoe. It has been a whole new insight into my family life with Dad in charge. I am very grateful for this wonderful man who is always willing to step in and help out when my job asks me for the hundredth time to change my schedule. Later, Amy

crazy week

2009-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic. of my Dad and my brother Adam's girlfriend Sunny (she is great!) sitting next to Adam at the resturant on Trevor's bday. I just thought for those of you who haven't seen her I would post that for you. She is a wonderful girl and has done so much for Adam. I enjoy her company and our whole family gets along with her well (except maybe Sandi but she doesn't get along with anyone!) So no new pics but bathroom is coming around still and we are getting ready to lay tile, my biggest fear and project yet! It is a crazy week for us, I just spent 5 hours at the court house for jury duty and almost had to serve on a trail for 2 and half weeks but Travis is sick. I know that normally wouldnt matter but he may have to schedule for surgery we won't know until he has his ultra sound on Wednesday but he didn't feel well all weekend. I am very anxious for the results on Wednesday and hopefully all will be well and he will just need some antibiotics for an inflamed intestinal track. So I may be called againg to the court house; I still have 2 weeks to serve my jury duty, but no one to watch the kiddos if Travis is out for surgery so we will see. Later, Amy

Cute

2009-02-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

K Trevor got a little Tricycle from Grandma and Grandpa Jones so Travis brought it over to my Dad to put together today while they were babysitting Trevor for us. The next thing that happened is soooo cute! Little Trevor took every part out of the box for Grandpa and checked it out as it got put together. They he proceeded to ride around my mom's living room and has mastered going foward and backward! As he goes backward he kindly says backward, backward, backward, like a little horn going off. It may be something only a mother finds adorable but he is growing so fast and every moment amazes me that he is so smart. On another note, just f.y.i for anyone following my ever changing schedule I am changing schedules again from today through March 14th. I will be working 7 am to 2pm Mon. thru Fri. My wonderful hubby has agreed to help get Eric off to school in the morning (which is normally my task) as well as help get Trevor off to daycare or Grandma Margaret's since she is off work a lot and it easier to take him to. So it is temp. and I will be back to my schedule I hate after that. Later, Amy

2009-02-26T15:16:00.000-08:00

Quick update on basement, the drywall is up here is some pics of our friend Erin and Todd putting up drywall. Travis supervised (meaning he watched while they worked)! Lol! We have it textured as well so I will get pics for that soon. Later, Amy

Happy Birthday

2009-02-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

So today is my baby's birthday, Trevor is now 3 years old! He makes me feel older every year knowing his is my last baby. He was sooooo excited to have a Wallie cake for his birthday that I had to make it even when the owner of Bamboo Gardens in Pocatello offered to make a chinese birthday cake for all of us to try. The chinese cake was good, but he stood next to his Wallie cake right up to the minute we let him blow out the candles (before we even finished singing Happy Birthday to him) and cut out his own little slice. We did not have enough space to have it anywhere else since we did a joint party with Travis' and my family instead of having 2 parties and there were over 35 people! It was insane but maybe next year we will try at our house in the basement. I still don't know if we could fit that many people in our house and it is just too cold to have it outside in Febuary in Idaho! Lol! Later, Amy

still here

2009-02-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

I am still here! The bathroom in the basement is coming along really well. It is a whole different room with walls up! I am not ready to have to make all the color decisions; you never knew there were so many to make. There is the color of the tile (already picked) and then the color of the grout used to install the tile, the wall color, the door color, the trim color, the toilet/sink color and style, the faucet styles (also colors!) and so many more. Lol, I think I will survive but I don't know if Travis can survive me! He is a good man for putting up with everything I put him through; and even stood in the paint isle at Lowe's for an hour before recommending his step-mom Shirley to come and help me pick out paint colors because she is really good at it. Lol! We are very fortunate that the labor is being done by family friends because you have no idea how much a sink actually costs! :0 Lol, I cant wait for this project to be done but there is still a long list of other projects. I dont have my camera with me today to post some pics but will have some up soon. Later, Amy

Chocolate

2009-02-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hi, I know it has been a while but I just thought these were sooooo cute! My little Trevor ate a chocolate doughnut and was covered in frosting. My friend Jenni came to town on Tuesday and it was so much fun to hang out with her for a few hours. She had four kiddos with her and with Trevor we made up a small train to go anywhere. We went to McDonalds and let the kids run around like wild animals and got some time to talk. It was wonderful to get to see her and all the kids. Also Jenni just did some pics of Travis' nephew Kory and his fiance Amber and they are wonderful as always; if you would like a sneak peak you can view them at jjhphotography.blogspot.com I think they turned out really well and they make a wonderful couple. Later, Amy

hi

2009-02-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

So yes it has been a while so I dont have anything really exciting to report but I will get new pics up for the bathroom soon. It is a process picking out the tile and fixtures and lights and wires and well you get the idea! Here is some pics of the front of the house, before it was covered in snow today! Oh, by the way, if you have not been to Costco recently you should go soon. I got a 6 pack of the energy effeceint bulbs for only $3.50! It is a great price and is normally $10.50! Just an f.y.i. for all of you smart shoppers. Later, Amy

handsome boys

2009-02-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

So my wonderful friend Jenni took new pics of my boys on Monday and I haven't even posted them yet! As always she does an amazing job, even with my pouty little Trevor!

She put them in this little card for Valentines day and they turned out great. We took our friend Terry's son, Kayden also and he did wonderful for her, he was done in less than 5 minutes. My kids took forever! Throwing a fit that they had to sit by each other or that they couldn't be off playing with Jenni's kids. We had six boys and two little girls all in one small space and it was very busy. We always enjoy our visits with Jenni and her children though and she puts up with us so we will keep going back. Later, Amy