Who Has a Wii?

We do! Our kids have been having so much fun playing our new Wii together. Our 100 box chore/reading chart was filled after about 2 months. This chart worked so well I think I'll think up another great reward to work toward.

Crazy Hair Day

Hayden wanted the trusted Mohawk. Easy AND awesome! It doesn't get much better than that.
Abby opted for Alien hair with pencils. You know, just in case you need to write something.

Bed head. Yeah, Bastian didn't feel like doing anything TOO crazy. Ralph the night hairdresser didn't help me out with anything special for this boy's crazy hair day.  Ralph's always doing crazy dos on me, you'd think he'd take on a good project like "crazy hair day." Nope.

Hair in Rags

We were so fortunate to have Grandma Bastian (my mom) come for a two night visit. She is now home from her mission in Nauvoo. Like the old Primary song goes, "It's always fun for everyone when Grandma comes." How true that is. One night she put Abby's hair up on rags. Wouldn't you know that I didn't get a picture of Abby's hair AFTER the rags were taken out! . We cut up a homemade shirt that I was NEVER going to wear. You know one of those shirts that you keep as a "someday-if-I-ever-paint-my-house-again-I'll wear-this" kind of shirt. It's a good thing I kept it because it made great rags.

My mom puts her own hair up in curlers every night. She can get ready for the day in 15 minutes flat, and I'm not talking about throwing herself together. I mean she looks like a meticulously polished dream. This is just ONE of the amazing things about her. I love my mother!

Little Bakers

Who can resist help that looks this cute? I have so many little people that want to help me make chocolate chip cookies. Here they are donning their aprons.
Eating cookie dough is a must. I mean, REALLY, we don't even need to make it into cookies.

Our Garden

Our garden did really well this year. We ate raspberries, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, peppers, and onions. We did get to eat a few zucchini before Turk mutilated the plant. Two of our grape plants are yellow because Turk pulled them out and laid on them. We reburied them, but I'm pretty sure they aren't going to make it.
Our tomato plants got huge, and produced many tomatoes.

Our garden wouldn't look so good if it wasn't for our gardener. Here he is trimming the grass around our square foot garden boxes. He sure is cute....I'm in love.

Watching a Hailstorm With a Friend

These two were glued to the window during a recent hailstorm. I remember being little and watching hailstorms and lightning storms from the deck. Isaac Bradshaw was playing with Weston during the storm. It was so cute to watch them press their faces to the glass and comment on the wonderment of how it bounces off from the surfaces upon which it falls.

Someone Has Been Eating My Cheese

I found the cheese on the counter like this. Weston thought he'd knaw on the block of cheese for a mid-morning snack. Yes, Tillamook cheese IS that good.

Brownie Baby

We invited Rob's cousin, Jacki, and Rob's brother, Joe, to dinner. After dinner we ate delicious brownies made by Jacki. Joe spit his brownie out onto his plate, and flattened it with a fork. He offered Hayden $10 if he would eat his saliva covered brownie. Hayden denied this challenge to my delight and relief. Then Joe carved a smiley face into the brownie and told Hayden that he would give him $10 if he took care of his pre-chewed brownie baby for the rest of the night. He happily agreed and later collected his compensation. The smiling brownie baby played games......
........sang some songs........
........and played a little video games.........

Sold!

In September we sold our 5th wheel trailer, our red truck, and our PT Cruiser. We put the trailer up for sale and about 7 hours later it was sold! Rob and I drove it to Delta, Utah for the couple that bought it. Their family will be living in it for about 6 months while they build their house. We had some fun camping trips in it and then actually made some money on the trailer in the sell. Not too bad, eh? We parked the truck out on Canyon Road in Spanish Fork near what we call the "electric temple" (a power station made of metal bars that resembles the Salt Lake Temple). We parked it there at 9am and at 2:30pm I recieved a call from a ward member letting me know that both driver side windows had been shattered. What!? In broad daylight!? Yes, indeed. I drove to the truck to find the stereo had been stolen from it and a custom made BYU hitch cover. We reported it to the authorities and even the police officer was surprised. He said, "We see theft, but we don't see shattered windows." It made me sick to my stomach to think that blocks away from our home, on a busy street where children walk home from school, our truck was broken into by force. Sickening I tell you. Just Sickening. After getting it fixed through our insurance we sold it to a nice man.
Last but not least, we traded in our PT Cruiser. I was glad to see this car go. The uncomfortable, small seats have been causing Rob's leg serious pain. I was pleased with Rob for making the hard decision to buy this "girly" car and drive it for so long. He bore wise cracks from family and co-workers alike. My big, manly man would sit in the uncomfortable driver seat for hours, driving from place to place to save our family money. I love him for it. Now, honey, go get yourself a car that says, "I'm a strong, brave man." Oh wait, you already did.

Who Wants A Wii?

We do! Here is the LeBaron family chore chart fo the Nintendo Wii. Every child is excited at the prospect of getting a Wii. I also wanted to get the Wii because the games are parent friendly. We have a Playstation 3 for blue ray playing but I've found that the games are geared for an older player (or should I say it is geared to desensitize young and old players alike).....hence violence and ugly music. Since I am against both violence AND ugly music I opted for the Wii. Each chore completed and each chapter book read (Hayden and Abby) or reading lesson completed (Bastian) earns a sticker. There are 100 boxes that must be filled with stickers before the Wii becomes an integral part of the family. Let's hear it for the Wii!!!

Page, Arizona

Rob and I went to Page, AZ to explore a business venture in July. We spent two nights there, just the two of us. Rob's uncle David and Aunt Julie let us take thier wave runner out on Lake Powell. The rock formations were beautiful and it was quite invigorating getting sprayed in the face when we would hit a wave just right. We brought a picnic with us and stopped in a quiet spot to eat and swim. Here are a few of the boats parked at the marina.


Here is our picnic spot on the red rock. It was so warm and wonderful. It was my first time ever going to Lake Powell. I can't wait to take the kids back someday so they can experience this beautiful place.

A Chore of the Past

It's hard to say goodbye sometimes....but not to this chore! Goodbye doggy doo, yellow spots in the lawn, barking in the middle of the night, morning, noon, and afternoon, chewed up shoes, pooey shoes, slimy sliding glass door, and ruined garden produce. I will miss the love our dogs freely gave. I cried when we sent Toby to a new home, and I cried when we sent Turk to a new home. I loved their sweet personalities, but you can't make me miss all the rest.

August Top Ten

10. We were attending the Foote family reunion and Weston (age 3) was sitting at the table eating his dinner when he saw Rob’s cousin, Jacki Pruett. He said to me, “I knew Jacki would be here. I knew everyone would be here. I’m so proud.”

9. Hayden and Bastian were arguing over zucchini bread. Hayden was saying how delicious it tastes. Bastian was saying how disgusting it tastes. Hayden said, “You used to like it when you were little. Now you don’t even remember what it tastes like.” He said, “Yes I do. It tastes like raw meat.” No wonder he doesn’t like it.

8. Bastian said this a couple of months ago but I am including it in August. I was telling him how important it is to attend church because it is there that we partake of the sacrament and feel the Spirit. Bastian said, “I don’t feel the Spirit at church. All I ever feel is hot.”

7. Abby lecturing Bastian on his cheating said, “Bastian, people don’t like it when you cheat……. Unless they get $1000 for it.”

6. Weston pointing out some horses in a field said, “Horseys don’t eat boys. They eat grass.”

5. We asked Hayden to look after Weston for a few minutes while camping up Santaquin Canyon. Hayden grappling with Weston through shrieks of 3 year old protest yelled, “He’s TOO much for me!”

4. Hayden after hand feeding a deer while camping said, “There is such a thrill in feeding a deer.”

3. My niece, Libby (age 4), came into Jessica’s tent and asked what she was doing. Jessica said, “I’m talking to Rachel.” Libby said, “You’re talking to an angel?”

2. While watching a deer that came into our camp I said to my niece, Libby, “Do you know who made that deer?” She replied, “Santa?” I smiled saying, “No.” She tried again, “Jesus?” Yep!

1. I asked Bastian to do a small task and he didn’t listen. I asked again and he still didn’t move. Finally I got a bit stern and he got up and did the job. I thanked him and said, “You are a good helper. Thank you for doing that. Next time I would like you to get up the first time I ask you to do something. Bastian replied, “Like Alma?” I was caught a little off guard. I thought for a second and said, “Yes, like Alma.” In our family scripture study we were at Alma 8 when an angel appeared to Alma after preaching in the wicked land of Ammonihah. The angel told him to return to the land of Ammonihah after they had rejected him. The scripture said that, “after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah.” And I thought no one was listening during scripture study! Way to go Bastian!