6 in the Sticks

The making of the pumpkins.

Charly's

Jack's O' lantern

Ashley's

Jackson = Storm Trooper

Ashley= Bat Girl

Charly= Snow Princess

Jessica = Pirate

  Jess was dressed up for work.

if I had a little bit of computer talent, I'd put a turtle neck on her and some black pants.

Ashley would get some pants too. :)

The snow melted the afternoon before Halloween. The weather was wonderful yesterday and it was a beautiful night for trick-or-treating. We woke up to frost again this morning so the kids lucked out yesterday.

Mom's rules and regulation speech on trick-or-treating. And then Shrek was so good to come by and conflict with everything mom had told the kids about being safe and using their manners.

Thank goodness they listened to mom anyway.

It was a good Halloween, except for this guy.

Tissue anyone? So gross.

In case you're wondering, they're gummy worms. And

no, we didn't let him eat them. Wouldn't want to

make you jealous. This picture was taken by Jackson.

About a month or so ago, Jackson came home after school and said, "Hey mom. Do you know I-rock-Obama?" His class had been discussing who the two candidates were that were running for president. About a week later he came home with this in his backpack. I thought it was so neat. When he sees a picture of them on tv or the internet he says, "There's Mcain and Rock-Obama!" I don't remember talking politics too much in grade school, especially in kindergarten. In fact, I don't think my brother and I were ever told who my parents voted for. I remember voting being a personal hush hush kind of deal except for the bickering between neighborhood kids making their claim on who was better sometime around the Jimmy Carter days.

Presidential childhood memory.

Somewhere around the fourth grade, president Reagan was shot. Each one of us in my class wrote a get well letter to the president. I remember feeling so nervous about it. The pressure of using the right words to make the president of the United States feel better. I recall my letter to read something like this.

Dear President Ronald Reagan,

I am so sorry that John Hinkley Jr shot you.

I hope you get better real soon from John Hinkley Jr shooting you.

I wish that John Hinkley Jr never shot you.

Sincerely,

Kim B

Not one of my strong moments that's for sure. Our class ended up getting a thank you card with a presidential seal on it.

I hope that my kids educate themselves when it comes their time to vote. Jessica. Educate, educate, educate themselves on the candidates.

Be positive who you want to vote for. Not for who the church tells you to, not for what your classmates tell you to, nor your co-workers. Not for what you thought you gathered from the ignorant commercials that are slammed back and forth on the tv, not for the inconvenient calls flooding through your telephone at the last minute. Bottom line, the education starts long before election day and it's up to each and every one of us to decide what is important not only for ourselves and the ones in our backyard, but the whole United States in general. Educate. Break outside of the bubble and get out and find out who and what is America, you may be surprised. What can YOU do for this country, not just yourself?

On a less serious note, I thought this get out and vote flag that Jackson made was so cute because it is so Jackson. He knows which way the letters go but I can tell he rushed through this project just to get it done. He has absolutely NO desire to color, paste, or write. If the teacher could somehow incorporate hunting and fishing into the mix, he might just take his time a tad bit longer. Until then, I think Jackson holds the record for the fastest coloring student in the north.

We voted a month ago. We vote with an absentee ballot where we live. I miss my sticker. And this year, I miss my free cup of coffee.

Another Jackson quote.

Let's see, how do I begin. I better mention first that the kids have had the "where did I come from" talk and were told the facts with all of the questions they asked. Luckily we didn't have to go into every different aspect as they were happy for the moment with the simplicity of information given to them.

So, since then, Jackson will refer to himself as an "egg waiting in heaven" in conversations pertaining to events that happened before he was born.

Yesterday afternoon, Jackson, Jeromy, and I were having lunch together in town while waiting for Charly to be finished at preschool. We sat in a booth that overlooked the main street in town and we happened to be straight across the street from the store of the company that Jeromy and I both worked, and actually met. Jackson commented on the silly mannequins in the window display. We told him that we used to work there, what our jobs were, and that we met there.

Jackson said, " Oh, so that was when I was still an egg?"

Jeromy chuckled and said, "Yeah, you were still an egg swimming in a river."

Jackson's reply, "Ha, swimming in a river. You insult me!"

Jeromy's reply, speechless, a second later, "I insult you? Where'd you get that?"

Scary to think how Jackson may have a talent to pull the wool over Jeromy's eyes in years to come. Kids are a lot smarter than people give them credit for. Scary. So scary.

Our home was overjoyed this morning to wake up and find out Obama will be our next president! Would've stayed awake to watch history in the making but this momma was able to not only fall asleep early, but sleep through the night as well. First time in months. A good night and a good morning.

I am so happy to say that after eight, LONG, PAINFUL, SHAMEFUL years, I am so proud to be American again. Wha-hoo!

Cooper. What a little lug, although he's not so little anymore. He's about eight months old now and is still such a baby. He likes to play dumb too. He'll grab a dog toy and head over to something he would like to chew on but shouldn't, lay down and chew on the dog toy while we are watching and wait until we look away. Two seconds and he's dropped the dog toy and grabbed something like a hairbrush, a doll, my tennis shoe, my decorative balls off of the coffee table, a plastic bowl, a cup, so far no homework. He melts our hearts though. And the way he looks into our eyes with his innocent sad eyes. He's a sweetie.

We'll bust him sometimes chewing on some of the examples I just gave and tell him, "Cooper No! Get a dog toy." Before we are done with the sentence, he's dropped the non-chewable item and is chewing the dog toy as if he never did anything wrong. So cunning.

He is also such a love. But can get in the way sometimes as he likes to lean up against us. For instance yesterday, I was finally painting the walls in the kitchen and came close to hitting the floor a few times as he just wanted to snuggle up near me. I sent him to the basement not only for that but because he wanted to lick the freshly painted walls. Jeesh. It all ended good but later noticed paint on his ear, which must have transferred to Jackson's shoulder and hand. Charly is hoping the paint will come off Cooper's ear in a bubble bath she wants to give him tonight.

Puppies.

SO BIG! Like sixteen years old big! This is so Ashley. It doesn't matter how old she gets, her sense of humor has stayed the same. She has always been such a goofball. You have to watch out for her.

One of the many Ashley stories.

Somewhere around kindergarten Ashley lost a tooth. It happened as she was sitting on the toilet at my mom's house in the city. She was SO upset because she had flushed it. Now the Tooth Fairy would never come because she didn't have a tooth to put under her pillow. So, she wrote the Tooth Fairy a note after I had a talk with her about the magic the Tooth Fairy can do. It read something like this.

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I dropped my tooth in the toilet.

You can find it in the ocean.

Love,

Ashley

Unfortunately, for many, MANY years, the Tooth Fairy had a hard time coming to Ashley's pillow on the nights she lost her tooth. She always made it though, sooner or later.

Happy Sweet 16 Ashley! We hope you have a great day!

We're official now. Now that we have our official hats.

Our camp is called that because that's what we say when we cheer each other on when someone has come home with their tag filled.

"Did you get one?!"

"Hooves In The Air!"

Bill had these made up for each of us with our nick name on the back. He said when he was having the hats made, the guy taking his order questioned him to make sure he wanted the deer upside down. "Yeah buddy, hooves in the air." Jeesh, the nerve of some people.

So far, Bill and Jeromy are the only ones that have shot a buck. It has been a tough season, but time is not up yet.

I met mom in the city for the day yesterday for another CT-Scan. So far , so good. In fact, so good that her Oncologist said she won't have to continue with her sixth session of chemo. She was SO happy. And can you blame her? She is so thankful for all of the well wishes, support, and prayers being answered. She will continue to go in every three months for a CT-Scan. Wonderful news.

On my way home I drove on the new bridge for the first time. It was eerie in a way as I'm sure a lot of you experienced the same scenario the first time you took it as well.  It looks nice though.

Jack started hockey practice last Saturday. Unfortunately, maintenance problems with the school ice arena so have to use one out of town and the only practice time we're getting is on Saturday and Sundays during deer hunting, oh well. He is so excited.

And apparently I was too because my poor boy was dressed the wrong way. I got some strange looks from the other parents. I even asked one dad for help, thanks, but no thanks kind of deal. Pads on the inside mom. I knew that, but I was spazzing about rushing out of my deer stand to take him in, then back out again.

I swear Jackson, it won't happen again. I will try my best to keep you from being the dorky little momma's boy. But can be very hard as your mom, herself is a dork. And your father, well, you don't stand a chance really. Poor you. You did an awesome job buddy!

Ashley is heading off to Fall Camp for the weekend after school today. We had to get some shots this morning because we will miss her so. After this shot was taken, Jackson said, "Now do one like this!" And posed. This was the pose.

He was so excited about this not only because she listened to him but because her braces are showing a tad. She doesn't like to show her braces in her pictures at the moment. I remember those years, and understand. Hopefully when all this orthodontia work is done, she won't grow up and marry a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" that will knock her teeth out on the dance floor. :)=

Ashley's choice silly face.

Hunters are still at it. Dad and Uncle Al came home the other night with a small buck. They are hunting right now and hopefully will have some success this morning. More pictures to come on that note. For now, here are a couple of shots I took by the lake earlier this week on a still, foggy afternoon.

My 7th day of hunting and I have yet to see a deer. I heard it has been a tough season for many but hoping that I will prevail regardless. Hopefully tonight is my night.

Jackson's hockey practice went well yesterday and he's got another one today. Mom did good dressing him BEFORE we left the house. Jeromy got some shots of him on the ice as well. He loves it so much.

Ready and excited to go.

Sealing up the water bottle.

With some nudges from Cooper. He always has to be up against someone, Cooper that is.

I know, I'm his mom but he is so darn cute I could just eat him up!

It's that time of the year again. The time where I want to die from embarrassment at times to laugh my butt off. Once again, we have deer thawing out in our family room. My husband. Never a dull moment.  We've had a lot of funny comments on Jeromy's picture from Halloween when he shoved gummy worms up his nose and Jackson took a picture of him.

We've also had quite a bit of feedback from those of you that have called our house and have heard Jeromy's message. He was screwing around with me when I was putting the first coat of paint on the kitchen walls and he was so proud of how it sounded, he decided to leave it on the answering machine. I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to leave it on there but thought I'd let him have his moment. Our telemarketing calls have decreased by 50%. Our messages have people laughing while recording their message about 99% of the time, and the 1% is Jeromy's clients that are still calling our home number from those darn business cards that went out five years ago that sound a little annoyed. But that's their problem.

It was so hilarious when one of my friends, who also got a huge kick out of Jeromy's gummy worm picture, called the house and got the answer machine and had to leave a message. This is the message they left.

"Or...Maybe you've got so many gummy worms shoved up your nose, you can't breathe, and you're choking, and you're on your way to the emergency room....."

Jeromy grabbed the phone before they were done and said, "Hey,I resemble that comment."

Silly stuff. Never a dull moment.

I asked the younger ones what they were thankful for this year.

Jackson said he's thankful that he's going to a feast at Grandma's house. And he's thankful for Star Wars.

Charly said that she's thankful for her potato turkey with a big turkey head. And she's thankful that she's going to go to Grandma's and eat a roast beast.

More fridge art. Charly's art is on the right. Jackson's art is on the left. Jackson had to disguise a turkey like a member of the family so he could live past Thanksgiving. Jackson decided to make a hockey player turkey. The card with his hand print reads,

Handy Turkey

This isn't just a turkey,

As anyone can see.

I made it with my hand,

Which is a part of me.

It's made with love

Especially to say,

I hope you have a very

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

I am thankful for family and friends, all that we won't see this holiday season, all that we won't see until we leave this earth, all that I get to see every day. Thank you.

Some funny shots of Ashley blowing out the candle on her triple chocolate birthday cupcakes. Her cup cakes were originally stacked and shaped like the number sixteen but you can imagine how well extra moist cupcakes want to hold still. Yeah, they bit the dust, a few times so they ended up laying down and covered with what ever little frosting was left. It's not the looks anyway, it's how it tastes right?