the more recent past...

Irrigation day=happy day in our home. Luckily it's on Saturdays this year (may be on Sunday's next year and that could be a new trial in our life) but until then the kids love to get their swim suits on and run and ride and splash around. Two weeks ago our dear neighbor, Jen, brought over a toy for the kids...uuhhhh, hello. Major hit! Dax was asleep and Anson wasn't interested but Bo and Eden had a good o'l time pushing each other around. Even the cars driving by would slow way down and smile and wave and cheer. Totally wore each of them out. It was cool. Too bad it was probably the last warm irrigation day of the year...more next summer for sure!






And just a little sneak peak at a cute crack because I can





Also, this same evening the Boise Zoo had a military appreciation night where families could get in for free and had the place to ourselves for a couple hours. It was seriously great! The last few times I've been to the zoo has been for a field trip at the end of the school year when it's 90+ degrees with a million kids running around crazy. This night was cool and reasonably calm with WAY less people-so nice. We joined up with our friends, the Dopp's, and had a good time darting from cage to cage seeing almost everything there was to see. After the kids last trip down the giraffe slide we were walking past a patch of grass where a worker was holding what I thought was a pretty good sized snake. But, oh no, I tell you. It was a "legless lizard". I have never heard of such a thing but there it was. The difference is that the LL jaw doesn't unhinge so it can only eat baby mice not big ones, and it has a shorter body and long tail whereas the snake has a long body and short tail. Just a little FYI. The kids were fascinated, seriously.


Here's Anson wanting to touch it one more time and Eden is most assuredly asking the nice zoo worker where the LL poop comes out. A-Mazing!





Good times, I tell you.

In the past...

A couple weeks ago both Anson and Eden's schools had their fall fundraiser. For Anson's school they did a carnival and I was given the opportunity to make 100 carmel apples. That means I unwrapped nearly a thousand of those individual carmels over multiple hours, swatted away way too many little digits who were trying to sneak my hard earned carmels, and said,"I promise you can have a carmel apple tomorrow at the carnival" soooo many times I was a broken record. You can bet that we got to the carnival on time so that we could eat dinner and hunt down the clown selling the apples.

Never again, for a long, long time!

The kids enjoyed the games, the bounce houses, the dunk tank, the food and the face painting. Success!!








Eden's party was the following evening. Rock of Ages, it was called. Each class dressed in a different era and learned a dance from that era to perform for the families. Kindergarten and 1st grade were 50's. Eden did rousing rendition of the peppermint twist, and I mean it. She was great! I also saw some rockin' costumes that night. Cracked-me-up! Luckily we have an amazing friend named Carol who we called a couple hours before the show to borrow some dress ups-she totally came through for me. Eden was very excited!! Unfortunately the gym is tiny and only one grade could be in there at a time so we didn't get to watch the other dances but like I said, the costumes were sweet.
So, they had a good dinner but not nearly as many games/activities. Which was okay with me as we didn't stay out nearly as late or spend as much $. We all got a snow cone, played on the playground because you can never run around nearly enough on that school play equipment, can you? I took one picture of Eden with her friend and classmate, Conner. So cute! At this point she had taken off the scarf that was around her neck and maybe even the one that was in her hair because they were making her sweat-y. Her words, not mine.

Guess who?...

A couple weeks ago I got this piano book out to show a friend and low and behold we woke up this morning and Anson sat down on the bench, opened the book and began to teach himself how to play-totally AWESOME! It's a very beginner book that just teaches how to position right and left hands from middle C. Nonetheless, he got through most of the book before church then came home from church and finished then went through it again. It was amazing! This kid has mad skills teaching himself how to do things with hardly any assistance from adults, ie. the computer, riding his bike, and now the piano. Now I'm not saying he's a savant or anything, just a smart little whipper-snapper that makes me proud! I'd post the video of him playing but I don't know how so you just get the still pics...

...and counting...

ONE WEEK DOWN, that's all I'm gonna say...!

Of extreme importance...

On Saturday 11 September 2010 Anson James Bishop was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by his father, Barrett James Bishop. And oh, what a day it was! Since Barrett wasn't around the weekend before for the stake baptism we had our own private service of sorts. Many friends and family members participated, encouraged and shared in Anson's glowing spirit! Thank you to those in attendance-we loved having you near. For those of you who couldn't make it, this is what you missed: Anson's primary teacher, Sister Bauer, and the bishopric sharing some thoughts and experiences involving Anson that brought a whole new level of warmth to the meeting and made me really weepy and then Anson, as he's coming down the steps into the font saying,"wow, it's warm water", another step, and then,"oh, the underpants are wet"! After we assured him it was okay for everything to be wet it all went better than I expected-he did awesome! Didn't even try to swim around or dive. After the baptism Eden and Grandma Wood sang a sweet primary song "When Jesus Christ was Baptized" (inwhich Eden sang really well the first 2 lines, then Gma Wood did the rest) and then the confirmation by Barrett and then Anson shook everyone's hand and when he got to the Bishop he said, "thanks for saving my life". How cute is that?
Unfortunately as with many of life's more important and meaningful opportunities I did not take any pictures-luckily my dear husband steps in from time to time and gets a couple of real good ones...Anson (singing) and ironing his white shirt and Anson and Dad pre baptism.





Way to go, Anson! We could not be more proud of you and the way you live your earthly existance. WE are so blessed to have YOU in our home- Hope you know how much your sister and brothers (and parents) love you and look up to you. You've come such a long way in your interactions and involvement with us-thank you for your patience and smiles!

This is gonna take a while

This is just for the record. Pictures that fill my eyes to the brim with tears, both happy and sad. Barrett with the kids just before jumping in the truck to head to the airport...








Nice tire in the background, right? What were we thinking..?..

And then after our hasty arrival at the airport we found a slightly secluded area for some good-bye hugs and final words of wisdom and a little pinball...I refuse to post the pic of my red, puffy, ugly-cry eyes so this is what you get.




Daddy and Bo


I'm not quite sure who's consoling who here but isn't it cute?


Daddy and Eden


One final SMOOCH!

Luckily we were running just a little behind schedule so our farewell was abrupt and then he was gone...I could've rushed down the escalator and out the doors but the kids wanted to stop and play on the video games/rides downstairs-uuugghhhh...cursed machines! Even with no money they insisted on sitting for a few minutes. What could I do but oblige?


And now, to tell you the truth I'm ending this. It is taking a ridiculously long time to upload the pictures on here. I've been away too long-any ideas? pointers/suggestions?

I've forgotten...

It has been 15 months. Fifteen months, my friends, since we've graced you with our family happenings. The guilt is about enough to do me in and so I'm gonna give it another shot. Seeing as how I have next to nothing to show for the past year and a half and knowing that the upcoming year will be one worth remembering (for future laughs, I hope) we begin anew...I should've started this hours ago but I'd forgotten how to change and rearrange and add and delete, etc, etc. Sooooooo tomorrow will bring new pictures and such. For now my empty king size bed is beckoning and with the Run for Autism Awareness in the morning I need all the rest I can squeeze in. And did I mention that I'll be walking and not jogging this year-I'm outta control, out of shape so we'll be doing a family stroll of sorts. All for a great cause so it's alright with me!

I'll be in touch, sooner than later