27 March 2010

The Blue Room


We have a peach colored bedroom and a turquoise bedroom. We call the bedrooms the peach room and the blue room to tell them apart.

I had put half the boys on a bunkbed in the peach room and the others in the blue room. Some friends gave us a bunkbed set and I began to set them up in the peach room.

"OH NO!" The boys said, "We do NOT want to sleep in the peach room."

They talked me into taking apart the peachroom bunkbeds and moving them into the blue room as well as putting the new set in the blue room. Of course I got tired of building bunkbeds and halfway through Matt had to come in and rescue my mess. He did give me a hard time and added that if he had known what was going on he definitely would have put his foot down. He thought changing rooms b/c of their color was ridiculous.

So I have 6 boys in the blue room and Abbey and Gideon in the peach room. I'm guessing as soon as Gideon figures out he sleeps in a peach! colored room with the baby! girl! he is going to insist on the blue room as well - leaving poor little Abbey alone in the girly peach room.

Maybe she will be happy if I paint some butterflies on the wall or something. And some ribbons. And curtains. : ) This girl thing might be fun.

Abbey and her little friend



Abbey (on the right) is 6 months older than her newborn friend and barely larger. Last week a postpartum nurse actually mistook her for a newborn. : ) I think she is going to take after her mother!



Matt and I had a bet. I said her blue eyes would stay. He said she would have brown eyes like me. I think I win.

23 March 2010

Target Practice









I took the boys and their friends for target practice. All their buddies had their own weapons. 12 kids and everybody practiced hunter safety. Those kids are good with guns and bows.

I learned to say, "Shooters to the line!" or something like that.

22 March 2010

Happy Birthday Grama Betty!!



To my wise and wonderful Grama who I am so grateful for. I am thankful for so much that you taught me. You taught me to live within my means, to "pull myself up by my boot straps" during hard times, and to be sensitive to my children's feelings, among many other things.

You are, as Matt puts it, one of the most sane people in our whole family. : )

You are a wonderful person and I am so proud and so glad you are my grama.

Have a wonderful birthday.

21 March 2010

Bread Bread Bread



This is for 3 meals. Its a sandwich day. Hot turkey and cheese sandwich for dinner. Egg salad for lunch and a sausage, egg, bread chunks, and cheese casserole for breakfast in the morning.

That is a lot of bread.

20 March 2010

Culteral uniqueness

In Wyoming:

Everybody knows everybody else. Everybody is probably related to everybody else too.

The majority of moms don't have a job. They stay home with their little kids and bake. The average number of children per household in Lagrange is probably 4.

Most households have a clothesline - and use it. They also can.

The seasons are calving season - right now, and hunting season - november. I think there are some other seasons but I don't know them yet. There maybe some others, but I think those are the only ones that matter.

In general people feel safe to let their children roam around town.

People shoot dogs that are pooping in their yard with a bb gun, and nobody minds. Fezzik has been shot once - by our friend.

People gather up cats by the dozen, take them out of town and "dispose of them". Think 9mm. There is no animal shelter.

One lady in town feeds 12 feral cats. It is the mayors mother. He wants a city ordinance against more than two cats. He lives next door to his mother.

There are still mice.

I know someone who let their 12 year old drive on the highway. I know someone else who lets their 6th grader drive a tractor - regularly.

Several families occasionally leave their elementary kids in the car for a few minutes while they run into walmart. The kids have a cell phone and the car is locked and the weather is good. In one instance a cop drove by while the mom was coming back. The cop thought it was fine, and commented she liked the kids choice of radio station.

You are the only person at the DMV ever. There are two employees ready to help you.

You don't need to address the envelope if it your letter is being mailed to someone in town. You also don't need to address it if it is going to the next town over, and if your lucky even the county seat. The postman has all the addresses memorized.

The postman lets you weigh your baby on his scale.

The postman gives out candy, the old man at church gives out candy, the Awana commander give out candy, the guy coming to work on your bathroom gives out candy, the tire salesman gives out candy.... (my children now have cavities).

People stop over and chit chat. No reason, they are just passin through and thought they would say hi.

High rent is 300 bucks. Most farmhouses can be lived in for free if you keep them up.

Most women bake their own bread, use whole wheat grain that they grew. They eat their own organic beef, venison, or chicken.

Many families have chickens and rabbits. Free range of course.

Those that don't buy eggs from their neighbor. My eggs are delivered every Sunday morning. Free range organic eggs for 1.50 a dozen.

You have to keep the egg cartons and give them back.

Always shut every gate you go through or the cows will get out.

Most families have a garden - a huge garden, and they don't use chemical fertilizer, they use rabbit or chicken poop.

Everybody hunts. Everybody that is 12 and up, that is. Everybody under 12 is in training to hunt.

I drive by elk, antelope, turkeys and pheasent on my way to town. I saw 200+ turkeys one day on my way home. They were in an old corn field.

Days and nights are quiet except for the wind. No car noise and you can see EVERY star.

Sunrises and sunsets are awesome every day.

Old men sit at the cafe and talk about the weather for a very long time. They also talk about the weather from years ago for a very long time.

If you get sick you call your next door neighbor because they are an EMT and can even give an IV. They don't charge for ambulance rides and will even stay at the hospital and drive you home if necessary.

At the grocery store, an employee helps you out with your groceries every single time - no tip necessary.

The gas station employees sometimes pump your gas for you. Gas is at least a dollar less than Ca.

There is no recycling here.

When you are driving down the road you must always wave to the car driving past. Everybody does, I don't know why.

If you breakdown at least the first 3 cars that drive by stop to help.

The first time you drive your new car you get pulled over because your registration is overdue. If you forget to bring your title and insurance card they still let you go.

They give out candy at the courthouse where you register your car.

19 March 2010

Awana Grand Prix

























Silas Joe Sam and Elijah all made cars for the grand prix. It was a big event. Silas's won first place for speed. Silas was so excited. His mouth was open the entire time they gave out the trophies. : )

Luke and Titus raced match box cars with their friends. Everybody had fun and snacks at the end too.

17 March 2010

Sisters and Nieces and Cousins




going to the park for a tennis and baseball game with the Auchs, the Boyds and one Huisman boy.






out to lunch


: )


Crazy Cousins


Oh my goodness the Auchs sure know how to make faces.

11 March 2010

Samuel gets a gift



Elijah is a little unhappy in the background - he disagreed (correctly) that I bribed one of his brothers. I may have taught him that bribery is not an ok parenting technique but attitude training has a long way to go.

abbey and Joe







Silas got a haircut


He is itchy.

10 March 2010

A restful nap

I laid sleepy Abbey down for a nap and this is how I found her later. She's a parking lot.