My Pocketful of Miracles

Laura's Haircut

2010-04-14T16:12:00.003-04:00

Laura has been begging me for a while to cut her hair. I finally gave in and did it. This wasn't the style we had in mind when we started, but it's what evolved. I am definitely an amateur hair-stylist, but I think it looks pretty cute, if I do say so myself. Laura loves it, and she's gotten lots of compliments on it.

Ethan's Glasses

2010-04-14T16:08:00.002-04:00

Ethan got glasses recently. He has gotten pretty used to wearing them now. Once he misplaced them and was distraught because he thought he would go blind without them. I don't mind if he does think that for now.

Straight Talk

2010-01-19T09:47:00.003-05:00

This is my new phone that I got for Christmas. It is a prepaid cell phone that is unlike any previous plans and it's called Straighttalk. I pay just $45/month and it gives me unlimited minutes nationwide, plus unlimited texting (which I never use), plus unlimited internet browsing. It has a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out, which is nice. The best part is that there is no contract to sign so you can never get behind on a payment. If you don't want to pay, you just don't have service until you do, but you don't owe anything. Another nice thing is that my number is a local call from my hometown. This service is carried by Walmart, and it's new. They tested it out in a few stores last summer and have recently expanded to many more. It was a very hot item at Christmastime. I highly recommend this plan to anyone looking for a cell phone provider! (You can also choose to only pay $30/month and that gives you 1000 minutes of talk time plus 1000 text messages and a certain number of hours of browsing.)

Christmas Ball

2009-12-12T17:45:00.003-05:00

This is Jessica all ready for the Christmas Ball. She is just waiting for her coach to arrive.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-09T14:38:00.003-05:00

Brigham's picture came out a little blurry, but these are the kids I had available for picture taking. The other three were outside. We're having a big nasty snowstorm today that is supposed to change to ice by tonight. The three older boys don't like to smile for the camera. They think it looks dorky.

Thomas is 1!

2009-12-09T14:27:00.003-05:00

Thomas doesn't seem to care one way or the other about today being his birthday. However, he is dressed festively in his Santa suit. The slipper boots don't stay on very well, and he really doesn't like to keep the hat on. This may have been my only opportunity to capture him in it on camera.

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T07:49:00.003-04:00

Luckily we did trunk-or-treating last night, so I was able to get some pictures then and not have to worry about doing that tonight. The kids had fun, although the teenagers were told that they were not allowed to participate in the trunk-or-treating. I gave them all some treats anyway, as did a couple of others. I think tonight Thomas and I will stay home while the others go amass some more sugar.

Halloween Skit

2009-10-31T07:33:00.002-04:00

This is the skit that the Dover Branch put on for Halloween. Spencer was Frankenstein's monster and Felix Blinn was Dr. Frankenstein. Gram, Sandra Harmon, Alyssa Gosselin, and Autumn Dow were witches. Kent Ellis was Dracula, Elizabeth Walsh was the bride of Frankenstein, and Roger Clukey was Igor (with the green hair). It was pretty silly, and I know Spencer was glad when it was over. You can see Logan and Adam in the foreground here.

Stand For Marriage Maine

2009-10-20T16:40:00.003-04:00

I am doing my part to get the word out on this most important issue. I have been asked to be the headquarters for this area for yard signs, bumper stickers, and cards. I'm keeping them all in the back of my big van. I've had quite a number of people come to pick some up, but not nearly enough. The good news is I haven't really seen any signs from the other side in Dover, at least. Bangor is peppered with both sides. The headquarters person from Bangor called me up yesterday to ask if we still had plenty of signs. She asked for 200 of them because she was out and has been getting requests just about every hour for more. There are some who don't yet understand which vote means what. They think that a yes vote means yes to gays. They need to know that yes means yes to repeal gay marriage, which our governor so boldly took upon himself to sign into law earlier this year. If marriage is to mean anything anymore, we must win.

Can You Tell I Have a Paper to Write?

2009-08-29T17:31:00.002-04:00

Since this is the last week of this term for me, and I have a 15 page paper to write, I decided it was the perfect time to update my blog. As you can see, I've pretty much caught everyone up on what we've been up to this summer. Have a look!

Jugglers

2009-08-29T16:57:00.003-04:00

Our boys are quite amazing with their juggling skills. Everyone is bowled over by their ability, and they've done a couple of gigs already. They want to get street performer's licenses. Here's a video of David juggling rings. He's up to six now, and is hoping to get clubs next.

Santiago

2009-08-29T16:50:00.003-04:00

This is Santiago, our donkey. We got him a couple of weeks ago, and everyone likes him. He is very mild-mannered, and loves kids. He'll play just like a dog. He doesn't run, unlike a horse. He doesn't eat much, either. We told Jessica that he's her ride to seminary, but I don't think she's going for that. All the kids have had turns riding on him. We're hoping to eventually get a cart that he can pull around. We don't have the sheep anymore, so this is a more low-maintenance alternative.

Camping at Mount Blue

2009-08-29T16:42:00.001-04:00

Reunions

2009-08-29T15:59:00.002-04:00

These first two pictures are at the Atwater reunion. The first one is of most of the youth age kids having a paper airplane throwing contest. The second one is of the tent that we used. You can't really get a sense of how big it was from the picture, but it was about 60 feet long. The floor was made of pallets, boards, and rugs. There were several tables set up during the day, and people laid sleeping bags out at night. It kept the mosquitoes out and let the cool air in. These last three pictures are of the Dow reunion. Uncle Lew will celebrate his 80th birthday in October. Aunt Helen and Aunt Alice are 95 and 98, respectively. The last one here shows Zack and Ruth's garage, which is pretty darn nice inside.

Thomas at 8 Months

2009-08-29T15:43:00.002-04:00

Although you can't tell from these pictures, Thomas now has three teeth, with a fourth on its way. He has recently learned to stand up to things. If I remember right, that's a little younger than most of our other kids. He actually learned to sit himself up and pull himself up to standing in about a 10-day period. Whenever there's an open door, he makes a bee-line for it. He's in the process of teaching himself how to climb stairs, but we try to discourage it at this point. He's never gotten past the first stair so far. Daddy is his favorite person, it seems, because he crawls to him with a vengeance when he gets home and cries when he leaves.

2009-07-09T10:36:00.002-04:00

Laura kept doing this thing to get Thomas to laugh, and it worked until someone would distract him.

Ethan

2009-07-09T10:31:00.001-04:00

Ethan always insists that I take his picture whenever the camera is out. In this second one, he's eating a sandwich at the picnic table and both Major and Rusty were sitting there waiting for him to drop a piece. When I went out, however, Rusty walked away. Major is still interested, though.

From Sad to Happy

2009-07-09T10:22:00.001-04:00

My Giant Baby

2009-06-13T10:07:00.004-04:00

Thomas is our biggest baby at this age. He just went to the doctor for his six month check up, and he weighs 20 lbs. and is 29 1/4 inches tall. I've had babies that weighed that much, but his height is well off the chart. The doctor says he continues to be really tall. Jessica was only 30 inches at one year. He is very good-natured and lots of fun. I always recite to him the nursery rhyme that says, "Tom, Tom, the piper's son, stole a pig and away he run. The pig was eat, and Tom was beat, and Tom went crying down the street." Then I decided that it sounded pretty harsh, and didn't particularly apply to Thomas, so Laura and I made up a new one. "Tom, Tom, the Schwan man's son, is a pig and he weighs a ton. He is so sweet, he sucks his feet, and when Daddy comes home he brings a treat."

Memorial Day Observed

2009-06-13T09:50:00.003-04:00

On Memorial Day, we went to the cemeterys where our grandparents and other relatives are buried. Since it is especially a day to remember those who served our country, I thought I'd take pictures of Grampy Sloat's and Uncle Greg's gravestones. Most family members don't live close enough to see these for themselves, so you'll have to settle for a virtual visit. The picture with flags shows their proximity to each other.

Twelve Kids!

2009-05-19T17:07:00.004-04:00

Spencer and Ivy arrived last Thursday with their three rough and tumble boys. Our kids are so excited to have them around. It's nice to no longer be the only sibling in Maine anymore. Sunday evening I snapped some photos of the kids, but Logan was not feeling well, as is evident in the picture. Zack was plenty happy, though, and Abe stuck out his tongue when I asked him to smile. Such a typical boy! Ethan also insisted on having his picture taken, of course. Thomas was taken aback by a bite of mashed potatoes with dill.

Pierced Ears

2009-05-19T16:54:00.002-04:00

Laura was given the gift of pierced ears for her birthday back in December, but we never got around to getting it done until March (mostly due to our vehicle troubles). She just started being able to wear different earrings a couple of weeks ago and loves to change them several times a day.

Rachelle's Poem

2009-05-05T08:31:00.000-04:00

Rachelle wrote a poem years ago that was published in the October 2000 Friend. A couple of years ago, a woman named Deanne Flynn contacted her to ask permission to put it to music and add to it. She is currently a featured performer at Time Out For Women and sings this song at it. You can find out more about her at www.deanneflynn.com. The first verse is Chelle's poem exactly word for word, and the rest is written by Deanne. It was just put on youtube, so watch it and rate it so it can move up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOEazClNuFA

Nice Day For a Picnic

2009-04-28T13:05:00.003-04:00

This was taken on Saturday, when it was sunny and about 75 degrees. Today is 84, but we're supposed to get a thunderstorm tonight. The temperatures will drop off back to the low 60s for the next forseeable future. I think we'll be mowing the lawn in the next week or so.

Thomas the Tank. Period.

2009-04-28T12:58:00.002-04:00

Thomas went in for a checkup and shots the day after he turned four months old. His weight was in the 85th percentile, but his length was in the 98th. He's a tall boy, I guess. His thunder thighs are nothing to scoff at either.

Mary Is A Little Lamb...

2009-04-28T12:51:00.002-04:00

We had another new lamb born a couple of weeks ago. It was a total surprise because we didn't even know that ewe was pregnant. This one is a ewe and the kids named her Mary. As you can see, Lambchop, the first lamb born this year, is quite big now (He's the brown one).

James' Baptism

2009-04-13T15:45:00.002-04:00

James was baptized on March 21st. It was a small service, but nice. This second picture is what we used for the front of the program. It's hard to believe that we now have six baptized kids!

11 Steps to David's Easy Toast

2009-03-30T12:29:00.002-04:00

We have a daily writing prompt each morning in homeschool. One day last week was national toast day, and the kids each had to write instructions for making toast. This was David's.

1. Take a piece of bread.

2. Put it in the toaster.

3. Set it to whatever frickin' setting you feel like.

4. Pull little lever thingy.

5. When it pops up and you hear someone say, "Who's toast is done?", immediately spread butter or peanut butter or cleanut schnutter or phleanut glutter on it.

6. Wait 60 sec. and put on schninnamony shtugary.

7. Chomp.

8. Tell Mom you're hungry still.

9. Ask for whatever is in the fridge, pantry, or bake center.

10. Wait for her to say no.

11. Sulk.

Lotion

2009-03-19T10:47:00.004-04:00

Someone apparently left the lotion where Ethan could reach it and this was the result. He was proud of himself for rubbing it in so well.

The Many Outfits of Thomas Part I

2009-03-19T10:30:00.003-04:00

Thomas has lots of clothes (thank you to all who have given them to him!), and I figured that since he won't get to wear any one thing very long, I'd better capture them on camera to prove that he actually wore them. Here are a few for starters:

Baby Lamb!

2009-02-25T10:13:00.002-05:00

This baby lamb was born this morning, from one of three ewes we have. The kids love it and are spending lots of time in the barn today. It sounds like a little car horn when it bleats. We're trying to get the mother to nurse it, but so far she's resistant. We may have to get some milk replacer before the day is out.

Two Cute Brothers

2009-02-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

Thomas

2009-02-16T08:47:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of shots I got of Thomas. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died just as he was warming up to the camera. I'll have to capture some smiles when I get new batteries.

"Mom, There's Blood Gushing Everywhere!"

2009-01-09T15:21:00.002-05:00

Adam came rushing downstairs this afternoon to inform me that Benny's lip had a huge hole in it and there was blood gushing everywhere. Apparently he was playing on his top bunk bed when James came crashing onto it, causing the board underneath to slam up into his lip. Luckily it wasn't quite as bad as Adam thought. I think what happened was that his teeth went down through his lip. There was quite a bit of blood, but mouth injuries are usually that way. He's okay now, but he'll have a fat lip for a couple of days. It will be pretty sore, too.

Blessing Suit

2009-01-09T15:02:00.003-05:00

Thomas was blessed last Sunday. Grandma made his suit, which was adorable. He shared the day with his cousin Chandler, who was baptized that afternoon. There were two grandparents, three aunts and uncles, one great-uncle and -aunt, one great-great-aunt, and 15 cousins in attendance. (That doesn't include any more distant relatives that I might have failed to mention.) I didn't get a chance to snap any pictures at church, so I took these at home that night. They'll have to do.

Three Kinds of Muffins!

2009-01-09T14:55:00.002-05:00

We have started holding a life skills class in homeschool on Fridays. Today we learned how to make muffins. David and Laura made applesauce muffins, Jessica and James made jelly muffins, and Benny, Adam, and Brigham made blueberry muffins. We had a yummy brunch of muffins and juice after they were done!

Thomas

2008-12-16T15:13:00.002-05:00

He's Here!

2008-12-14T13:04:00.002-05:00

Thomas Spencer Atwater was born at 4:34 PM on Tuesday, December 9, 2008. He weighed 9 lbs. 6 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. He has a full head of dark hair, chubby cheeks, and opened his eyes almost immediately after he was born. It was a somewhat difficult delivery, compared to previous ones I've experienced. I did have an epidural, but for some reason, they turned it down when it came time to push. What were they thinking!? His hand was up beside his head, so it took a long time for him to be born--about 45 minutes, which is long for my babies. I've realized that I'm definitely older and more worn out this time around. However, it is all worth it in the end. Pictures of Thomas will be posted as soon as I take some.

Five More Days...

2008-12-04T10:11:00.003-05:00

My doctor called me this morning to figure out a game plan for getting this baby here. We decided on Tuesday, the 9th. I'll show up early in the morning at the hospital and I'll get an epidural before they start pitocin, so I won't have to feel anything. Nice! It looks like our 9th will be born on the 9th. This is the only baby that will have a single digit birth date. The kids are excited for the big event. We've decided to let them stay home instead of being farmed out. That way, they can be available to come and visit and shouldn't really have to be on their own too long anyway. I told them that Dad usually stays with me during labor and delivery, and then spends a little time with the new baby before coming home. He'll likely be home that evening and available for them on subsequent days that week. If it should happen to take longer than we anticipate, we have people who could come get or stay with kids. Given my history, though, it probably won't take even all day. At least now we know when D-Day is, so we can have something to plan on.

Negative Numbers!?

2008-12-03T09:22:00.002-05:00

It's pretty bad when there are negative days left until my due date! I had a non-stress test at the hospital yesterday. Then they made me come back an hour and a half later for another ultrasound, just to check fluid. The radiologist said that unless there was a rupture, there would be adequate fluid on anyone. I don't really get the point. Oh well. I have another NST on Friday at noon and the doctor will see me at the hospital instead of in her office then. I asked the nurse if I should come prepared and have my husband take the day off, and she said she didn't know. That figures. I wish I could just know when this was all going down, but I guess I'll just have to suffer. We will definitely be letting you all know when the blessed event finally happens, so stay tuned...

My Baby's Not A Baby Anymore

2008-11-21T08:42:00.003-05:00

Ethan is almost three, and even before that, he will become a big brother. He is such an enjoyable kid to have around. He entertains us all with the stuff he comes up with and is currently everyone's favorite pet. He's just beginning to experiment with potty training, which is always an adventure. His favorite thing to watch is a sing-along DVD of the 2007 Primary songs. He watches it at least once a week. He also sometimes watches "The Upside-Down Show," which features two Australian guys that have an imaginary remote that they hand to the viewer to press certain buttons that make them do things. When Ethan is playing around, he often tells me that he will press the temple song button and then I will have to sing the temple song (I Love to See the Temple). Now he's at the point where he'll sing it himself and it's pretty cute. Yesterday I caught him trying to play "The Temple Song" on Laura's recorder while wearing Adam's Taz hat. This is what I was able to capture.

Jessica's First Dance

2008-11-15T19:11:00.002-05:00

Jessica went to her first dance tonight. She got her hair cut this past week and we even bought some makeup, which she was reluctant to agree to. After I helped her put it on, though, I think she was pleased with the outcome. These are some pictures I snapped just before she went out the door. She was riding down with Uncle Bob and Dillon.

Time Out For Women

2008-11-12T11:00:00.003-05:00

The five of us had a great time at Time Out For Women in Springfield, Massachusetts, back in September. These are some pictures that Kristal got of us while there. Unfortunately, none are very flattering of me since I am in my last trimester of pregnancy. Oh well. Here they are anyway--

This is all of us in front of the sign displaying the theme for the year, which was "A Joyful Life."

Here we are with Kim Nelson, a marriage and family counselor, who spoke to us on Friday night and was excellent. He sang a couple of songs with Michael McLean accompanying him. He had a wonderful voice, although he said he was an amateur and had no self-confidence. He is currently serving as a bishop. I told him he should join his ward choir. He said he doesn't read music, but I said any choir director would be happy to have him anyway.

This, of course, is Michael McLean. He was great, as always. We also got to meet Kenneth Cope, who was equally impressive. It is so great to have these programs available. I'm glad we got to attend this time. They will not be coming back to New England until 2010, so Mum can count on coming with us next time.

2008-11-10T10:03:00.002-05:00

The first picture is of my cupcakes. I tried to get them to look like the ones in the magazine, but there were a few ingredients we had to do without. The rest of these are each of the kids beside their own creations. It was lots of fun, even though it was late on a Friday evening and I was tired. Ethan had already eaten his cupcakes when I got the camera out. I also noticed that most of these guys really needed haircuts at that time. They have since had them :) I'm just not a fan of this sickening 70s shaggy look that boys try to sport these days. We have had to do some pretty tough convincing to get our older boys to agree to haircuts. It has been worth it!

Halloween: A Month Late

2008-11-10T09:56:00.001-05:00

Computer Glitch

2008-11-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

I really do have an excuse for not posting for a while on here. Our computer is such that I just take my memory card from the camera and stick it in the corresponding drive on the computer to upload photos. However, recently it hasn't been working. It always says there's an error with the drive. I don't know what's up. I decided that maybe (if I can find the cord) I can try to use the method I use for uploading video, through a cord plugged into a different drive. We'll see. I have some pictures of some Halloween cupcakes the kids decorated back near the beginning of October, but it may be too late to post them since we're definitely past that season and into another. Now, where's that cord...?

Another Tag

2008-10-27T16:20:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty sure I've posted similar pictures to this one already, but this is the 6th picture in the 6th folder in my picture file on my computer. I'm glad it's not one of me! It's funny how no one is smiling in this picture. I guess they were all too hungry waiting for breakfast to cook to think about smiling.

My Tag

2008-10-06T07:14:00.004-04:00

This is all Justin's fault!

Okay, 7 random facts about me:

1. I have given birth to eight children so far, most of them with pretty hefty birth weights, and have never needed an episiotomy. (Aren't you glad you know that?)

2. I have never dyed my hair at all in my whole life (not even highlights)! Now I'm starting to see some gray strands here and there.

3. In high school, I was considered "preppy."

4. When I was in middle school, my dream was to become a dentist. In high school, I changed my major idea to music education. I finally settled on accounting, which suits me just fine.

5. Two foods I have never been able to stand are raw tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Yuck!

6. I am a control freak. It's hard for me to delegate anything, especially when it comes to kids and chores. I definitely believe in kids working, but it is a major stress to me to not see everything done right the first time :)

7. The Wizard of Oz movie still scares me.

Now for some others of you who should have to do this...
I tag:

1. MariLou
2. Kristal
3. Jarom
4. Kimara
5. Sarah
6. Sabrina
7. Sharyn

An American Carol

2008-09-09T18:20:00.003-04:00

How many of you are planning to see this movie? It comes out on our anniversary. Sadly, Dade has to work until too late that night, so with that weekend being Conference, we probably won't see it until Oct. 11th. That's okay. It looks like a good one. It's about time Hollywood portrayed the liberals as idiots. (Click the post title to see the trailer.)

Off to a Good Start

2008-08-27T10:14:00.002-04:00

So far, so good! We are in the middle of our third day of homeschool, and it's going well. The kids are actually learning things and staying on track. I'm discovering improvements I want to make for the second week already, like schedule adjustments, etc. We have a snack and recess for 15 minutes in the middle of school, which helps to break it up. Chores are getting done in the morning before we start, which is really nice because then we have a relatively clean house when we're done. Showers and bedtime are happening, another plus! The kids have a personal accomplishment chart where they have to complete certain things every day and earn star stickers for each item. At the end of the week, if they haven't missed more than two stars, they get a reward. This whole system is helping me be much more organized in life, too, which is something I've needed.

Adam's Birthday

2008-08-18T08:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since we celebrated Adam's birthday, but I'm just getting around to publishing pictures from this summer. Adam decided to have a birthday breakfast this year, since Dad isn't around in the evenings. He just couldn't wait until the weekend, so we got up early and had cinnamon rolls, eggs, and juice. It was fun! It's hard to believe that Adam now has one last year in Primary, and then he will become a deacon like his brothers.

Peaks-Kenny Camping Trip

2008-08-18T08:28:00.003-04:00

We had a great time camping this summer. We got a couple days of the best weather we've had so far. The setting was perfect. I remember camping there as a kid several times, and it was always enjoyable. From a parent's perspective, though, it was almost better. It was fun to watch the kids enjoy themselves and do things that we don't get to do at home, like set up tents and build fires. They also got some swimming in, and even hiked one of the trails with Dad the second day. These pictures are of everyone waiting for breakfast to be ready. Sausages were Dad's domain, and I cooked the pancakes afterwards--yum!

Jessica's Birthday

2008-08-18T08:16:00.002-04:00

Luckily we were able to have Jessica's birthday meal outside after having seemingly nonstop rain for the past few weeks. We celebrated on Sunday, the 10th, because she was going to be at girls' camp on the actual day.
Gram and the Elders joined us for the celebration. Jessica chose tacos for the meal with cherry cheesecake (the genuine baked kind) for dessert. Elder Kempton and Elder Kelsey thoroughly enjoyed themselves--they both LOVE Mexican food and get excited when we serve it. Elder Kelsey told us that he always has cheesecake on his birthday, and it's his favorite dessert. When he started eating it, he said, "Is anyone else in heaven like I am right now?"

Our oldest child is now eligible to go to dances! That is a scary thought. She gets to have her Aunt Chelle for a YW President, so she has a ball at all the various activities they have. She has some really good friends among the YW in our branch, which is nice. Now that she's homeschooling, she will depend on them more than ever. I'm excited for her to make some new friends throughout the stake as well.

Picture Tag

2008-08-01T11:24:00.015-04:00

Okay, it's my turn. If you haven't done this yet on your own blog, just google each of these with your own info and choose your favorite option on the first page of images. Here goes:

my age

my favorite color

my favorite vacation spot (just a few miles from home)

where I live

where I grew up

where I'd like to travel (the Netherlands)

my favorite food (nothing beats a Philly Cheesesteak!)

my favorite treat

my favorite animal

a past love

my first name

my middle name

my last name

a bad habit

my first job (a convenience store)

college degree

what I'm doing right now

Ultrasound Results

2008-07-31T11:21:00.002-04:00

I had an ultrasound today, and at first the baby didn't want to reveal its gender. The x-ray tech finally got a peek and I saw that it's a boy! I had a feeling all along that it was a boy, but now I know for sure. I think the girls are slightly disappointed, although they won't admit it. Boys are fun, as we already know, and that's probably what we have the most of in baby clothes anyway. Seven boys--can you believe it? I never would have thought, back before I got started, that I'd have seven sons. One day there will be seven brides for our "seven brothers.":)

Ethan Singing

2008-07-11T09:44:00.000-04:00

This video is of Ethan singing a few songs from his repertoire while eating cinnamon biscuits for breakfast this morning. He didn't sing them the way he usually does, but at least he was agreeable, for the most part. He does pretty well for 2 1/2, but sometimes he is in such a rush to get to the next line in a song that he slurs the words so he can jump ahead. I was a little disappointed that he made the Sunshine song silly this time. He usually sings it well and on key. I guess we all have our moments.

The 50s!

2008-06-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

Jessica's class has been studying about the 1950s, and part of their grade was to come to school dressed authentically and participate in a 50s social. They even had a dance contest. Luckily Grandma Atwater is a great seamstress and always willing to do last-minute sewing projects. She whipped up this poodle skirt, complete with petticoat, on Saturday so Jessica would have it to wear on Monday. It turned out great! Jessica had lots of fun.

End of Year Concerts

2008-06-19T09:16:00.001-04:00

James and Benny both had a concert at the end of the school year. It was cute to watch them, but James seemed to be drawn to wherever we were. He kept looking over at us and then trying to focus back on the music teacher. Benny didn't offer any extra smiles, as you can see. Anyway, we are all so glad that this school year is over!

High Honors

2008-06-13T11:47:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to an awards ceremony for Sedomocha Middle School. I didn't know anything about it, since my kids always seem to forget to keep me informed. However, my niece Autumn called me at 6:30 asking if I could drive her up to it and informing me that it started at 6:30. I told the kids about it and Brigham said, "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to go to that too." So we piled in the van and picked up Autumn. I figured we would be about 15 - 20 minutes late. When we got in there, they said that they had to change the time to 6:00, so we were really late. Anyway, they saw us come in and made sure they recognized the kids for their awards. Both Brigham and Autumn received High Honors for their sixth grade year and got a school letter besides. I was pleasantly surprised. None of my older kids have really excelled since starting middle school, and I just figured as long as they don't flunk out, we'd be doing okay. Brigham seems to be our most responsible kid. I've noticed that when he's asked to do a chore at home, he gets right on it, as opposed to most of his siblings. It's so nice to have a kid who is self-motivated. At least we can reassure ourselves that we must be doing something right. Way to go, Brigham!

Baby Names

2008-06-06T10:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, since you asked... our names we're considering are Eliza Ruth (sorry, J & R, but we have the same grandmother) and Thomas Spencer (again, sorry to all my other brothers, but Spencer shares a name with President Monson). I never thought I'd ever have more than one girl, considering the track record in our whole extended family, but I've been blessed with two daughters so far. Is it too much to hope for a third? It seems that the likelihood is small--just look at our ratio so far. We have one girl for every three boys. If we had another girl, it would increase to one girl for every two boys. Also, our pattern up to now calls for a girl. Girl, boy, boy, boy, girl, boy, boy, boy. On the other hand, nine is an odd number, so who says it has to follow a pattern? Either way, it will be fun to have a newborn again. I think Ethan will be perfectly happy to hand over his role as youngest, especially since he loves babies so much.

Ultrasound

2008-06-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

My ultrasound went well today. They found a heartbeat--144 bpm. They also found a head, body, two arms, and two legs. The estimate from that is about 13 weeks, 1 day. My date points to 14 weeks, 2 days, but they said that's within the margin of error. I'm sure the doctor will stick with the date I gave her. That puts the due date at December 1.

New Blog Name?

2008-06-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

I guess I'll have to change the name of our blog eventually, because there will no longer be just 10 of us anymore. That's right--baby #9 is coming the first part of December! It was a surprise to us at first, but we are all very excited about meeting this new person. We do have some names picked out, so if you're dying of curiosity, just ask. I went to my first doctor's appointment today, and I'm supposed to be about 14 weeks right now, but she said I'm measuring more like 18 or so. She scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow, also because she couldn't find the heartbeat, which sounds more like the 14 week assessment. She just wants to make sure everything is as it should be. Our homeschool calendar allows for the month of December off, so it works out perfect! I'm planning to take my own classes through the summer and fall, but have two terms off--from November to March. I'll still finish in time to graduate in May of 2010.

2008-05-27T17:31:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

We had a pretty good Memorial Day. To start with, we all got dressed in red, white, or blue solid colored T-shirts and showed up at Rowell's garage where we met other members of the branch dressed similarly. Flags were handed out and we all got in formation to march in the town parade. The missionaries carried a sign that displayed the name of the church, and behind them David and Brigham were on either end of a pole with a large flag on it. The rest of us got behind in rows of three, wearing red, white, and blue in a pattern. We were supposed to stay three feet behind the row in front of us and arm's length apart from those beside us, but a lot of the kids had a hard time maintaining formation. We were just one firetruck behind the Foxcroft Academy band, so we heard them loud and clear the whole march. That was the highlight for me. I love marching bands, especially when it's my alma mater. They were all in uniform, and looked really good. On our parade route, we saw Jarom and Patty's family along with Cindi and Dan's. They waved and cheered as we passed by. Then a little farther down the street, we saw Mom and Dad Atwater and Joff and Kristal's family. They walked along the sidewalk beside us for a ways, and then we all ended at Monument Square to listen to a performance by the band and a high school girl singer. It was good, and then there was a prayer, a speech, and the firing of guns. All very nice. I think there were three different prayers offered around the parade, one at the beginning and two at the end. They were all offered by the same Baptist minister, but they were good prayers. I was fairly impressed. I'm glad we live in a community that still encourages religious displays and prayers. We were the only church in the parade. There were 33 branch members who participated. Go Dover Branch! After these festivities, we all returned home where we were joined by the Atwater gang. There was a flurry of kitchen activity as everyone prepared last-minute salads and meat. Bob and Rosa-Lee came too. Then we all congregated down at the fireplace where we enjoyed a sumptuous feast of shish-kabobs, hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, potato salad, three bean salad, jello salad, broccoli salad, chips, root beer and orange soda, congo bars, penuche bars, lemon bars, rice krispy bars, and chocolate cake bars. Lots of people played volleyball with the new set we just got and others played horseshoes. The missionaries came by around 3 and stayed long enough to eat. We had forty-two people here in all. The black flies were bad, but everyone kept lathering on the bug repellant and enjoyed the day anyway. It sprinkled a couple of times, but not enough to deter anyone. The Palmyra gang left around 5 o'clock, and Randy and Rachelle left around 8. We all hated to think of school and work the next day. All in all, it was a pretty great day.

Musical Reflections

2008-04-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

I remember several years ago hearing Ruth Dow (Zack's wife) say that the older she got, the more she gravitated toward country music. At the time I thought that sounded strange, as I had always vowed to stay current with music and not become old in my tastes. However, as time marches on, I too find that country becomes more and more appealing. Don't get me wrong, I still like a good rock and roll song from time to time. It's just that country songs are ones that I can relate to more easily, for the most part. I'm not talking about the stereotypical twang about your wife leaving and getting drunk, though some of those are still out there. Country has come a long way in my opinion. There are lots of songs about family life and real down home roots, etc., that strike a cord with me. My kids hate to admit liking anything country, but that's what they're usually exposed to in the car when I'm driving, which is almost all the time. Some fairly new songs that I especially love are "I'm Still a Guy" by Brad Paisley, "My Front Porch Looking In" by Lonestar, "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins, and "I've Been Watching You" by Rodney Atkins. Some country songs are likable just because they're so funny, like "I'm Still a Guy," but others have deeper meaning and even make me cry sometimes. George Strait's "I Saw God Today" is excellent, as is "Moments" by Emerson Drive. If you're not inclined to listen to country music, check out a few of these and tell me what you think. To me it's just feel-good stuff that evokes feelings of family, religion, and rural community life which is what my life is all about.

The Play

2008-04-16T07:51:00.001-04:00

I don't have pictures to put on here of the play, since my camera was occupied with taking video of the whole thing. However, I will say that it was very entertaining and quite well done. Sedomocha Middle School put on Cinderella?, which was a humorous take on a traditional fairy tale. Jessica played one of the wicked stepsisters, Adam was in the Bunch of People and helped to introduce the play, and Brigham was also in the Bunch of People and did a commercial for a book. Mr. Keniston was the director. He just found out last week that I am the mother of my kids. He just about fell over. He said Kathy would be so surprised to hear that I'm around and that my kids are so old. He told me that my kids were "such good kids." Of course, I already know that.

After the Play

2008-04-16T07:47:00.001-04:00

After the play last night, Chandler whipped out his video game to pass the time and James and Benny were very fascinated by it. I don't know why kids seem to get just as much satisfaction out of watching someone else play as they do playing themselves.

Mrs. Butterworth's

2008-04-04T10:01:00.000-04:00

I know most of you moms out there have experienced this type of thing before, but it's been a while for me since I had a two-year-old (4 years). Ethan is into everything! He constantly raids the pantry, so I have to be careful what I keep in there. I thought I had put every tempting thing up out of his reach, but I guess I was wrong. He found the Sam's Club size jug of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup way in the back on the bottom shelf and poured large puddles of it throughout the kitchen, including on the rugs. Needless to say, he had a bath afterwards. That was some tricky stuff to clean up. The rugs luckily could go in the washer, but the stuff on the bare floor was another matter. I used about half of a new roll of paper towels and then got a wet towel to wash up the sticky residue. The syrup bottle was down about 3 inches from where it was. I was pretty upset, but Ethan didn't seem phased at all. He scrunched up his face, and with a very serious expression, said, "That was naughty!" He then proceeded to run off and play. Such is the life of a two-year-old.

What's Your Favorite Kind of Food?

2008-04-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

The calendar says Spring, but...

2008-04-03T09:01:00.000-04:00

this is what we're still looking at. I took these pictures this morning. We have gotten so dumped on this winter that it's going to take a long time to melt it all. As you can see, the temperature is only about 35, which doesn't help much. At least it's sunny today. We're supposed to be moving up into the 40s for at least the next week. If it melts too fast, there will be lots of flooding, so I guess it's good that it's happening so gradually. We are finally at the point where the roads are dry now. It seems like there was ice and snow on them the whole winter long. We have seen a couple of birds perch on the porch railing this week, so maybe Spring will come after all.

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?

2008-04-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

...When all the world is green...Do you swim in a pool to keep yourself cool...Or watch a parade pass by?

About Time, Huh?

2007-10-14T16:34:00.000-04:00

I decided that I don't really need to wait until I have pictures to post. I do intend to get some pictures on here before too much longer, though. I've been swamped with homework this term and will be glad to see the end this Saturday. Unfortunately my next term starts up the next Monday, so no break, but at least it will be new classes. I will be taking Accounting II (managerial) and an English class (World Literature). This will be my last English class forever! Yahoo! The kids are all enjoying school here. In fact, they all brought home progress reports on Friday. Their teachers all say that they're doing well and to keep up the good work. The only "negative" comments were that the kids should participate verbally in class more often. Surprise, surprise! Dade is going for a second interview with Schwan's tomorrow. We're hoping this job works out. He thinks it's something he could really enjoy. Meanwhile he's getting signed up for online school again, to start in January. He's going for an associate's degree in computers. He can have that degree in about a year and then be qualified for some pretty high paying jobs. He is now serving as 1st counselor in the Elders' Quorum, and I'm the Primary pianist. We're enjoying being here in the Dover Branch. Hopefully we can be useful. The Primary president passed out parts for the CSMP today, and it was kind of funny to watch her rifle through and come up with six papers just for us. We are having fun, and hopefully soon we'll even have money to live on!

Good to the Last Drop

2007-06-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

Ethan was caugh red-handed. Adam's birthday party lasted kind of late last night, and by the time we finished cake and ice cream, we were too tired to clean up. The bowls were left on the table overnight, so this morning Ethan discovered them. When he's hungry, he doesn't intend to wait to be served. Cake, frosting, and ice cream were all chocolate and this was the result.

Father's Day

2007-06-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

Our family has been asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Father's Day. They wanted to get us before we leave, I guess. I'm always glad for the opportunity to speak in church, but I'm kind of dreading this one. It will basically be our formal chance to say goodbye to the ward here. I will no doubt be an emotional wreck. Oh well, we'll get through it. Goodbyes are hard, especially when it's to friends you've been close to for five years. The Lovelock ward has been our family away from home and we will definitely miss all of the wonderful people here. They have been so good to us. We have no regrets about coming here in the first place. It is where our family has needed to be. Now, however, the time has come to go back home. Home is home, no matter what they say. We look forward to reuniting with family and friends back in Maine.

2007-06-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

I thought these pictures were too cute to not post. Laura is always looking out for Ethan, and he depends on her quite a bit. The second one here is Adam, in the shade of what few trees there were. Ethan was a willing subject that day, as you can see. We love his dimples.

2007-06-13T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here is what we did on Memorial Day. We went to Rye Patch Reservoir and had a picnic. The kids skipped rocks and after lunch we went hiking on a short trail they have marked. It was fun.

2007-06-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

This is the flautist whom I accompanied for a state competition. Her name is Siohbahn McGuinness (pronounced ShaVON). She played a flute solo at the spring band concert.

2007-06-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

You can see how long the trombone is; Jessica is sitting in the back row and it sticks out past the people in front of her. She is the only trombone in her grade.

2007-06-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

Brigham was harder to capture on camera since flutes were kind of in the middle of the front row. The second picture is blurry, but at least you can see him actually playing his instrument.

2007-06-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Here's David on the clarinet. He is usually first chair, but the girl in the picture got a turn for one song.

2007-05-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

Here is our graduate. There are eight Primary kids in James' grade this year, three of which are his best friends.

Kindergarten Graduation

2007-05-25T18:43:00.000-04:00

These are some of the better shots we got of James at kindergarten graduation this afternoon. As they handed out diplomas, they asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up. Having been through this before, I coached James at home before we left. He told me he wants to be a principal. I told him he would have to say it into the microphone in front of everyone, and he said "Oh no, I'll be way too shy!" He was right. The principal waited for James' response but James just told him in his ear, so Mr. Rowe had to tell everyone what James wanted to be.

David--Work?

2007-05-06T00:41:00.000-04:00

Here is proof that David actually washed some dishes. Unfortunately he took so long that he grew a beard by the time he was done.

Goofy Kids

2007-05-06T00:37:00.000-04:00

The kids got some stretchy cloth book covers for school this year, and apparently the trend at school is to wear them on your head. Here are Ethan, Brigham, and James looking like gang members.

Ethan's New Church Clothes

2007-05-06T00:33:00.000-04:00

Ethan got this new outfit for church, since he outgrew all his other ones. He felt pretty good when he first got dressed up, but was reluctant to pose for the camera. Laura is helping him in one, wearing her bunny ears on Easter morning.

Our Boys

2007-05-06T00:24:00.000-04:00

James, David, Brigham, and Adam

Our Girls

2007-05-06T00:16:00.000-04:00

Conference Weekend

2007-04-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

Conference weekend started out being enjoyable, but by Sunday, I was sicker than a dog. Laura was home from school on Friday and I apparently caught whatever she had. Today is the first day I have felt close to normal again. In the meantime, Adam, James, Ben, Ethan, and Jessica have all come down with the same thing; running at both ends. I'm glad we at least have two bathrooms. We have kept the gingerale going. This is starting out to be a fun week with so many home from school and sick. Of course it couldn't have waited until next week when it's vacation. We're supposed to cover the dining room and kitchen floor this week, since the guy interested in buying the house wants to come look at it as soon as possible. We'll see how much progress can be made in spite of circumstances.

Ethan's Popsicle Disaster

2007-03-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Several in our household have been sick the past week and a half, Dade and Ethan being the worst off. They have had sore throats, stuffy heads, and phlegmy coughs. Ethan wasn't able to eat much for a couple of days. He even refused bananas, which is unheard of for him. I tried giving him a popsicle, thinking it might feel good on his throat. This was the result. You can see in some of the pictures that it even got on the wall. Thankfully, he and Dade are feeling much better now, with just some residual effects.

2007-03-21T12:58:00.000-04:00

He's proud of his mess!

2007-03-21T12:56:00.000-04:00

2007-03-21T12:53:00.000-04:00

Ethan wasn't sure about the whole popsicle thing.

Jessica

2007-03-21T12:43:00.000-04:00

Jessica needed a current picture of herself for a school project, so I took this one.

Jessica's hang-out buddies

2007-03-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

This picture is kind of dark, but it was taken in the hall at church. These are Jessica's best friends. Jessica is on the left, then Katie Gentry, Kristen Rees, and Kaleen Sherman is down in front.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

2007-02-27T13:24:00.000-05:00

I got a call from the elementary school last week. The secretary said that some mother of a high school student wanted me to accompany her daughter, who plays the flute, for a state competition. I called the woman and sure enough, I now have another commitment to fulfill. I met with the girl yesterday for our first practice. She is really good on the flute. She is playing a very advanced concerto and they said she would get docked points without piano accompaniment. The two together sound amazing, if I do say so myself. So Friday I will be in Reno playing at a high school music competition. The mother says to let her know what I want to charge, because she wants to compensate me for my time. I hate asking for a certain rate though. I am always happy to oblige a request for help with music anyway because I believe in it. I want to help students succeed and help the programs keep going.

TOFW

2007-02-27T13:19:00.000-05:00

I get to attend a Time Out for Women in Reno on March 10th. They announced in Relief Society that it was coming to Reno a couple of months ago, so some of my friends and I decided we would go. Since my birthday is two days before and one of my friend's birthday is on the 10th, we are planning to all go out to dinner afterwards. I'm excited about it. Merrilee Boyack, Mary Ellen Edmunds, Cherie Call, Michael McLean, etc. will be there. It should be fun.

New Pajamas

2007-02-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart had pajamas on clearance for 2 bucks a package, so I was able to get matching ones for Ben and Ethan. They are pretty good buddies.

2007-02-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

Benny always smiles when I request it, but it doesn't come naturally for him. He has to really think about it.

2007-02-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

Ethan finally had a haircut about a week ago. He suddenly looks like a big boy!

2007-02-27T12:56:00.000-05:00

This is what we woke up to on Monday morning. As is typical of this area, all traces of snow were entirely gone by 10 A.M. The footprints are from the kids leaving for the busstop.

Favorite Kind of Food
Created by tinkybarkyd and has 4 votes on Bzoink
What kind of food do you like to eat?
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	Home Cooked
	Junk Food
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