Fall has finally arrived!!

well even though it has been pretty warm here in the afternoons.. Fall seems to have finally peeked up around here.. it's helped that we have had some rain (thankgoodness!)

Here are some pictures of my back yard trees.. as you can see my lawn nearly died with out any rain (remeber we have a VERY in-effecent well so we NEVER water the lawn).. we have a great little light house (minature model) at our harbor and i've got to find some time to go take come pic's down there.. the colors REALLY have come out by the water...

so there's my FALL Foleage post...

in other news, SOCCER IS FINALLY DONE!!! Hunter had his last tournament last saturday.. they kind of got beat pretty bad the first few games but they came around and tied their last game so the day ended happy!!! Hunter also tried out for his school musical which this year they are doing "susical" which is good because in years past they have kind of done "their own verson" of various musicals more like a review, BUT this year they finally bit the bullet and purchased the rights to a REAL PLAY! so Hunter is a "who" as in the "who from whoosville", so there are about 10 who's so he's happy, and will have practices only once a week for the next few months so I"M HAPPY! KayLea had a few cavety's and we had our 2nd of 4 visits last Thursday it was a filling in your upper back molar so her cheek was very chipmonkey and she didn't like it at all!! we stopped at the grocery store to get some yogurt and pudding and she didn't want to come in "because people will see".. how did i raise such a looks concious kid!!! i finally told her she couldn't be in the car by her self but she could lay her head on my fromthe cart the whole time.. she didn't end up doing that but she was one tired cookie and napped most of the afternoon.. she tried milking it the rest of the day on friday but i knew it probably just felt funny.. she gave me grief brushing her teeth but that too shall pass.. but i'm super worried about her next visit.. she has to get a filling in between her upper front teeth.. so we'll see how good she is then... it's not until the 5th.. so hopefully she will forget! (not likely).. then the last one is just a cleaning.. and she's been begging for a new tooth brush like the dentist office and i keep telling her that comes when you get a cleaning... Brad is doing great also, he's in Guitar club, Newspaper and today goes to student council for the first time, not to mention Band during the school day etc.... i can't complain about a kid that wants to get involved... i'm pretty lucky!!!

so thats all thats going on for now.. we are still planning on trying to make it to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving... should be fun!

ta ta

Ok so how long have i been a mom.. Bradley is 11 so i guess thats how long.. and this morning KayLea is sleeping in.. it's almost 9 and i've checked on her twice.. checking to see the blanket go up and down "sheeewww she's breathing" my head knows she must be she just had a long day yesterday.. she went to the Dentist for the first time (no judgements i know she's almost 5) she has a couple of cavety's, i was so worried because it's one of those pediatric dentists who take the kids back with out the parents.. she thought it was Disneyland!!! the first visit they let me stay but we talked about "next time" she'll be the big girl she is and go with out mom.. next time is today.. they had a cancellation and so i took it, i'm thinking now maybe it was a bad idea but we'll see i'm hoping to just ride the coat tails of her good experience yesterday.. but today they do the back filling and we'll come back to do the front.. i'd hope they'd just do it all but this is peds y'know tiny steps.. but she was such a good girl..
but after we didn't have but a few minutes to have lunch and her treat (ice cream) and then pick up Hunter from hiking coub and dash to Soccer practice then of coarse scouts she didn't even fall asleep in the car on the way home from the Dentist, so yea long day.. she needs this sleeping in.. I'm feeling like life has gotten a little too busy.. this last couple of weeks, but after this week all we'll have is Hunter's play practice and Bradley's 2 after school activities.. YEA!!!
anyway i'm rambling.. i don't even know if this all makes since.. i hear KayLea sturing there she is!!!
ta ta for now!

Ok so i was TRICKED!!!
as i said yesterday was well BUSY!!! i survived and the boys had fun.. Bradley came in 4th in the tournament.. he and the boys on his team were some of the saddest kids i've ever seen.. but they all played great and really held their own to way bigger teams... Hunter's game they lost but only by one (a great improvement) BUT BUT BUT, i was tricked.. i went through this whole day yesterday thinking by the end of the day we would be done with soccer.. well i was tricked.. Hunter has a tournament next saturday!!! and a practice on wednesday URRGGG!!!! i guess i'll grin and bare it!!! another week of soccer i feel so defeated.. why?? who knows.. but i'll write my happy dance next week when it is ALL said and done!!!
ta ta for now

Being pulled 4 ways!
Ok so today is like the busiest saturday i think i've had yet as a Mom... today Brad has his last soccer games/ it's a tournament, they are placed 1st going into it BUT, they are playing only one team that they know the rest are the top teams of their perspective leagues.. and the ONE team we know, they are the only team that beat us (1-0.. so it wasn't a slaughter but still!) just to add to the hustle and bustle.. today is also Relief Society Super Saturday, of which i was asked a while back (before we knew Brad's tournament schedule) to be on the Committee and do a mini-class (it's an easy one though, teach to make Grandma Mockridge's triffel).. And to add to my prep the soccer team has asked that each family bake some stuff for a bake sale going on during the tournament.. not to mention that Hunter has his last game at 3 (thank goodness, Brad's tournament will be done at 1)..
So i've been up since 4 but out of bed at 5, i'm making muffins (i made cookies and half the triffel last night) and oh yea i have to shower and look half way presentable.. not to mention that at least it's not suppose to rain BUT it's going to be pretty cold and windy all day so i'm having to find the boy's hooded sweatshirts and sweats to go over their uniforms (have only found 1 sweatshirt as of now.. URRRGGGG!).. i know, i know i really should make the boys find them but then what.. the'll usually have to be washed and we just aren't there yet so it's just as well that i find everything.. Ben has boy duty this morning i'm going to teach my class, do my tiny craft then hit the road to try to catch the last hour or so of Brad's tournament along with fufill my duty in the snack shack for half of that (oh the joy!)
But BUt wait,, as busy as i am today also marks THE END OF SOCCER SEASON!!! as good as season it was and we all had so much fun... i'm ready!!! it seems as though my family has consumed more than their fair share of fast food/pizza /mac-n-cheese to last them a life time.. Next year KayLea will play and Brad will be on the Middle School team, so the Bus will take them etc. etc.. and KayLea won't play "real" games until she's in 1st grade so i think it shouldn't be as hectic (what am i thinking with 3 active kids it's ALWAYS hectic)...
anyway there's my rant for today.. now i've GOT to get in the shower, take the muffins out of the oven and put another batch in!!!
have a great day!
ta ta

Wake up call!!!

Ben had a dr's appt yesterday, he came home while i was on the phone with a friend from Texas and he handed me 3 prescriptions.. the first one was for glocslophase (i know i butchered the spelling but i don't have it in front of me).. i instantelly knew and i said on the phone to my friend "Ben has diabetes!!" she was shocked! i was shocked! and yes Ben confirmed it he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes yesterday. the other prescriptions were for this fun new little toy he now has to have on him at all times and test his blood sugar at least twice a day, and another drug to somehow help with his kidney function (that wasn't so good either according to the same lab tests)... we have known for a while that a change needed to happen in our family's eating habits and with Ben's VERY strong family perpensity to diabetes this has just nailed the last nail into that coffin... We are going to de sugar the house, the Dr didn't want to start him on inselin right away (which he is very thankful for) and so now Ben has a few months to make his diet and the new oral meds do the trick (he is VERY motivated!).. so i am getting on the band wagon as well.. I"m sure he'll start loosing way quicker than me (he lost 100 lbs in less than 6 months when i only lost about 20 in the same amt of time) but i'm going to TRY very hard to not compare us! we are getting healthy, the weight is just going to be a secondary benefit!!!

This a pic of his monitor (he's got the actual one on him, as he should, so i couldn't get a pic of the actual one)... but he has gotten online and get a ton of info and ideas and so we are off and running.. we will probably start the lo carb diet this weekend as Ben always needs a day or so to "come down" from sugar and he feels lousey for the first couple of days, and doesn't want to harm anyone at work haha! anyway thats whats going on at our house!

ta ta for now!

Smells like HOME!!

i think i have very few smells that trigger memories or feelings.. Lucky Charms breakfast cereal totally makes me think of my Nanny (great Grandma Lane) we never had sugared cereal when we were younger, and Nanny would always just ask us what we wanted when we spent the night and lucky charms was totally it (not the store brand the REAL stuff).. and this Cowboy Coffee Cake.. I don't think Mom made it super often but when she did it was a special day... and the smell feels like home.. it's columbus day holiday from school today and we woke up to a cold rainy day so i made it for the kids this morning.. KayLea became VERY impatient and said she'd eat it soupy she didn't care she just wanted coffee cake "NOW!" all the kids get excited when they smell it (KayLea was very confused at why it smells done when it isn't yet).. i guess i don't make it too too often either!!.. i thought about posting the recipe but if you want it just google "cowboy coffee cake recipe" thats how i found it.. it's also in the Big betty crocker cook book (or at least an edition a while back and in a current edition listed as Buttermilk Breakfast cake or something like that).. the one i got for a wedding presant didn't have it in it so i found it on google (isn't google great.. how did we ever survive with out it??)
anyway this is my attempt at a foodie blog...
i was going to post some pic's of the boy's camping adventure but Ben still has the little digital camera in his car.. so when he gets home today but the boys said "he only took pic's of the fire".. so we'll see...
ta ta for now!

Fancy KayLea
who would have thought a book given to KayLea as a christmas presant from Grandma Cathy would become her guide book for life.. "Fancy Nancy" is all about a very Fancy girl who was born to family who wasn't fancy at all, she uses very fancy words like, Fuchsa, Stupendous & parfaits, & she can't wait to learn French "because everything french is fancy".. she decided to offer her family "fancy lessons" and they took her up on it, she accessorized them and took them to dinner at the "kings Crown" where they all were dressed very fancy.. it's a very cute book that concludes Nancy saying..and my favorite line in the book " I love you, mom says... I love you, dad says... and all i say back is I love you.. because there isn't a fancy--or better-- way of saying that" anyway KayLea has wanted ever since she got this book to "fancy up" her room just like Fancy Nancy's room.. trust me when i say we had to do some heavy negotigating for her to not do EVERYTHING Nancy had in her fancy room but, the boys went camping last night so we girls went to Joanne's fabric to see if we could find some stuff to make a canopy for her poster bed.. we were successful..

This is a picture of Fancy Nancy's room before she made it fancy, next to a pic of KayLea's room before she made it fancy...

and These pic's are of Fancy Nancy's Fancy room alongside KayLea's new Fancy Bed!

and Here's KayLea reading Fancy Nancy on her new Fancy Bed...

Who would have thought 10 yards of bright pink toole wouldn't be enough.. i'll probably need to get another 15 yards to do curtains and the other side of the bed.. AND not to forget fancing up her Doll crib (yes it was part of the negotiation) but she's happy for now .. you can't really tell in the pictures but the piece that's inside where she will see up is VERY sparkley.. she wanted to make sure i pointed that out.. and you can click on the pic's to see better/larger pic's..

ta ta for now!

I know i've been MIA
Well what i thought was Sucky Fall allergies was actually a full blown cold/flu... Ben has been sick so much so he missed work monday through friday last week.. he just went back to work today.. he still feel's lousey but we both are finally on the mend! At least the yucky stuff that was stuffing our ears and noses has started to move (ok i know way too much info but really it's quite an improvement!!!) SOO bottom line, maybe i don't think Fall SUcks anymore.. that remains to be seen the colors are comming but i'm not so sure it's going to be that great of "leaf season", we are in near drout conditions, we havn't had nearly the rain that we are suppose to so everything is going directly to brown, including my GRASS that i have pain-stakingly have been trying to get to grow in my shady back yard!!!
Anyway Kids are still busier than ever, Soccer is winding down, Brad only has 2 more games then the playoffs, his team is in FIRST place in their division but because of this will play WAY hard teams in the playoffs, Brad has had his BEST soccer season yet, it just seems like it has all clicked for him, i'm so happy/proud of him because last year i think things got a little discouraging for him he felt frustrated on a regular basis but this year he's just really doing an awesome job and the even better part is it's not just his proud mom who thinks so... he's getting allot of recognition from allot of people!!!.
Hunter starts Hiking club this week and also has the State Standardized tests this week...
Columbus day is monday which means a long weekend, i origionally thought of suprising Jack, Sarah and my kiddo's by going to their Corn Maze but its only a 3 day not a 4 day weekend like i had origionally thought, and i just don't think there's any way we can make it to KY and back in 3 days even flying...
so thats whats going in the Fox house these days...
happy fall!!!
ta ta