Update from Michelle

Larry has taken over my blogging for the past couple weeks- I hope you've been entertained! Just so you all know, I am feeling great again. I was even able to sing in church with zero coughing! Yay. I've been slowly getting back into the swing of things with my calling and housework. Derek's been bugging me every day without fail to work on his Luke Skywalker costume. It's almost done- just need to finish the belt and figure out a way to attatch his lightsaber.

Lindsey and Spencer have been LOVING the sandbox lately. (We always move it to the covered back porch and refill it with sand in the fall). I have to suit Lindsey up so that we don't get sand in her diaper. She loves it, though. She will play for about an hour out there if one of the other kids stays with her.

My dad was here this past weekend. He and Larry got really ambitious and rototilled one whole side of our yard to expand our garden and add more flowerbeds. My landscaping wheels are turning. I'm trying hold off on that project until the costumes are all finished for our Halloween party on Friday.

Life is Good!

just playing with kids this evening

Not much to say other than Lucy and Miranda play real well togeather and were Lucky to have Lucy around, Miranda and kids love it.

Gary in Town

Michelles Dad Gary was in town and turned out great. Other than the parade and football game, we went dinner and apple farm which was fun. The best part other than my kids loving to see him play with him was working on the yard. I had a Roto tiller he helped me fix and we were able to expand our garden alot for next year. Gary made a slide for kids off the couch the kids enjoyed.

Luke and Andy looking smooth (on scooters)

Hail, lightning, showers and football?

So I came up with great idea to go to homecoming parade (we go every year) and football game with bad weather forcast. So as you can guess I got Michelles Dad with us and my parents and Lucy and friends and it rained hard. Not only that but at the football game the match keep getting delayed due to the lightning (huge lightning bolts). The field in the picture should be green but is white due to all the hail. Though we had highlights, candy in the parade, pizza, and Luke and Andy on scooters in their speedos. It was well worth it for that.

polo and Derek date

We took the kids to waterpolo game and quote from Miranda "waterpolo is better than football and blazers becuase you don't have to drive as far" something like that.

Also it was Dereks daddy date this week and we went to Pizza smeazza (sp?) it was great, Derek loved the huge pizza piece and they order Breaksticks with red sause he was in heaven.

Dad's got a cell!

I have a cell and will be cancelling our land line in 2 months.

My number for cell is cell 503-914-8841

This week Miranda and I went to 1st preseason blazer game, I was worried about getting my free chalupas but Miranda told me, I would get them. She was right we had a wonderful time.

The pictures are from my phone. The Jumbotron at Blazer game is new and huge it said to be the best in NBA, it was amazing, well worth the free tickets and 2nd to back row seats we had.

funny story from a byu guy

Date: Feb 23, 02:11pmCategory: Ute Smack
Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. This was submitted by a guy who purchased his lovely wife a "pocket Taser" for their anniversary.Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 22nd anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Toni. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were suppose to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety.... WAY TOO COOL!Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries,. right?!!!There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-a batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!"What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.....I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it master," reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad.. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY MOTHER, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION@!@$$!%!@*!!!I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "do it again, do it again!"Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative.SON-OF-A-.. that hurt like hades!!! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I'm still looking for my testicles? I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return.Still in shock,Tommy

Tigard Football

I took my 4 kids with me to Tigard Football game Friday it was great kids loved it.

Michelle decided to rest but is getting better, I think she about 60% healthy but she has lost wieght. My dad and Luke my brother joined us at the game it was cold but didn't bother my kids. They loved the band, football,scoreboard,tuity fruity popcorn, candy,cheerleaders and mascot. Miranda and Derek kept track of the score at all times, Spencer watch Mascott, and Lindsey wanted to be with Grandpa. (she mad when I held her). Miranda gots some Tigard Pom Poms she loved. Tigard has running back that is amazing, best in state, will play for Ducks next year, Tigard upset #6 team and only need throw ball like 3 times. Yes I still where my lettermans jacket to the games. I expect sooner or later I will have a bad outing with the kids but latly they have been perfect, Whats up with that?!. Also this week we went to Tigard Water Polo game, they really got into it and loved when we scored, we won 13-12 and that really got the kids going, since game was close (Luke and Andy were playing). Oh Miranda was talking and keep saying "what the heck" and even at the time one should say that, am I suppose to stop that? OR kids say stinky pants, so when I get on them they say sticky instead of stinky, what am I to do?

15 or so kids happy for 3.5 hours how?

PS.

I planned another ward activite, Break the fast potluck last Sunday. I expected some 80 people I got around 160 people, we barly get that in church, we did not even really fit in the gym, I guess I got to replan Christmas Dinner. It turned out great but we just split the ward in 1/2.

more pics of pumpkin

Bronchitis + Corn +football

Well if you don't know Michelle was a little sick on her trip to Disneyland and now she is really sick. She has bronchitis and she never been sick like this and since she wants to keep us clear of it she can't really come out play. The Ward and Mom are helping to lighten the load.

Michelle loves the Pumpkin patch on Swavee Island but sent me without her because she wanted the kids to get a chance before the weather got bad. I took Lucy who helped a ton and we had a blast. Favorite things the kids enjoyed Derek: Corn Maze and pyramid Miranda: elephant ear and pyramid Spencer Pyramid. They also enjoyed getting pumpkins except Miranda got stung by a yellow jacket on the hay ride out. The corn maze was crazy the 1 part we did in fast 20 minutes, the 2nd half was tough, there was a bicycle carved in it with spokes of 12 or so, we decided to eat lunch in the middle and we watched people , many adults stuck for 40 minutes in the bike spokes,( I kept pointing them out to the kids and we laughed (I did mostly) . It took us 20-30 minutes for bike spoke part but hey I have lucy and 4 kids, and I let the kids pick the ways.

Saturday was also our 4th football party of the month we had about 28 people there, ( though Michelle had to stay in her room watching Lord of the Rings) we had chicken BBQ potluck with also kids favorite snow cones. It was crazy how 15 kids can get along for 3.5 hours even when it was dark. Check out the pic of the tramp, how many kids are out there? It was great party.

Well Pray for Michelle if you have a chance, being sick for this many days is not even fun for lazy person and she not one of them. I could enjoy 3-4 but I have the lazy ability built up from too much video games in the past. She’s really been sick for 10 days not fun.