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Try this if you haven't already.

Merry Christmas!

Is anyone else having problems?

I posted some video clips and now all the pictures on my blog are "missing"!

As my kids would say....."WHAT THE....!"

REVISED. pics have returned no videos though

Just a few Jake clips.......

Fun Holiday questionnaire.........



1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial, but still leaves the annoying needles all over


3. When do you put up the tree? Just after Thanksgiving


4. When do you take the tree down? When I get to it, usually a couple of days after New Years.


5. Do you like eggnog? YES!


6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know that it was my favorite, but the one that stands out is the Corn silk Cabbage Patch Doll.


7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a couple.


8. Hardest person to buy for? Dan, because there are so many things I want to get him, but he never wants me to spend money on him.


9. Easiest person to buy for? Girls who doesn't like lotion and candles.


10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? can't think of any...unless white elephant gifts count.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, even though I don't mail so I end up emailing or posting on the blog (Which will probably happen again this year)


12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "White Christmas", "Elf", and of course "The Christmas Story". Sorry I just can't pick one.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The week before, I need to work on that.


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? NO

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All the goodies!!!!!!


16. Clear lights or colored on the trees? White on the tree, and lots of them. Colored on the house.

17. Favorite Christmas song? All of them, but always can't wait to hear John Denver or Amy Grant

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home


19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Duh, yes.


20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel with red hair.


21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning


22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? There is such a build up and then in about 20 minutes it's all over.


23. What I love most about Christmas? The whole spirit!


YOU HAVE ALL BEEN TAGGED!! I want to see all of your answers.

The Holiday season can now start.


We have already had our ward Christmas party. It was Dec. 1. I am glad that it was early in the season before our schedules bust at the seams. My kids were asked to participate in the Nativity story. Tanner was Joseph, Jayla and Zach were Shepard's. Yes, Shepard's had suckers back then to keep them happy! Jayla took her roll very serious and stood there very stoic (?) while her counter part had to wave and fidget and take a grand bow at the end.

Thanksgiving-

Thank you Ivan and Karla for inviting us to your home to "hang out" with the family on the day of thanks. We had great company, great entertainment and great grub!

TOO MANY THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR TO LIST!

Lots-o-pictures

First- Thanks to all of you who helped Tanner by sending him foreign currency. This is how he (we) decided to display them. He ended up with money from India, Europe, Japan, Tiwan, and Malaysia!

Then there are the pictures from Halloween.....

Zach was Rambo-He wanted to be a cool army guy so this is what we came up with, and he has no idea who Rambo is. A lot of people at our ward halloween party and some of our neighbors took pictures of him because he was so funny.
Jayla was Mulan- I loved doing the lips! It sort of freaked her out to see herself with black hair.
Tanner was a ninja- He is just so Tanner! You will have to see his moves when any of you see us.
Jake and I- Jake was a cow, the pass me down costume when we can't think of anything else (or just don't have time). And I am a witch, obviously. Then Dan went out on a limb by dressing in business attire. I do have to say I think he makes a HOT business man. He should dress that way everyday!

I am just planning the future week and started getting a little sad. Here's my list why.

1. I am so not prepared for halloween. The kids have their costumes(we got them Fri), but in my head I always wanted to be more prepared. We carved a pumpkin weeks ago at Aunt Karla's that is now old, mold and wrinkly and have yet to buy more.

2. This is the last week of football for Dan and Tanner and cheerleading for Jayla. It takes up so much time, 3 practices a week and game on Sat. This has been going on since the second to last week in Aug. It creates for a busy schedule, but I love being busy (as much as I may complain sometimes). They are undefeated, so we are playing in the championship.(That doesn't make me sad. It makes me happy)

3. The Rockies lost. That's all I'll say about that.

So thanks to my sis. Ellen and bro.-in-law Jason I now have the movie icon on my dashboard!!! YA!!!! So here is my attempt at putting a video clip on my blog......

This is Tanner at our family reunion in Logan canyon. He is 5 yrs old. It makes me laugh every time I watch this.

What to do about clutter.....

I have decied I hate paper. I am always trying to manage it as it comes into the house between school and mail and stuff that Dan brings home from work or football. Now that we know we will be here for at least another 2 years ( Dan got a promotion that will keep us here in Colorado for a little while longer. Ya, Dan I love you!) I am trying, actually always trying, to organize the house. The toys are finally manageable, I have gone through closets and gotten rid of things or put them away for pass me downs. And then there's the PAPER!!!!! There are so many "what if's"...... I better not get rid of this or that because WHAT IF I need it later. It doesn't look that important but WHAT IF it is and I will be asked to make it appear at a later date. I do not have that inner knowledge of how to contain/ organize. It was not something that I was born with or taught. I am tired of all the crap and want an organized home!!

Help!! I am drowning!! (in paper)

Zach got fast and Jayla went short.


As you can tell in the pictures Zach is running fast. Dan bought him new shoes at our new Kohls that just opened up by the Super Target. He told me he has lots of energy to run fast because he eats so good. Then he said that he talks so good because Heavenly Father gave him the energy to do that. He has to sleep in his shoes, too. I don't know if it's because he needs to run fast in his dreams or if it's because he's afraid that one of his bro's are going to snatch them at his most vulnerable. ( It's a third child thing, or second boy thing, they never really get anything to themselves.)

You can tell as well that Jayla got her hair cut. She has wanted her hair cut off and on for a year, so Sat. came along and I took her to go get it done. She really likes it and it makes me kind of sad because I think it makes her look older. My little girl is growing up.

Here is my lame attempt at post a video. ( how do you do this experienced bloggers) click the little question.

Sign this petition if you liked............ "Boogedy, Boogedy, Boo!"


http://www.petitiononline.com/mrbooged/petition.html


My Family better not let me down. I remember watching this over and over especially with Char.

Here

Can you get lead poisoning from pencils?


So I was putting away all the breakfast stuff after getting Tanner and Jayla out the door for school. I picked up the milk and realized that there was something clinking around in the container. I looked inside..... What the?! There are 2 pencils in the milk container that was just opened this morning. Thanks to the 1 yr old in our home I transferred the milk into a pitcher. I'll let you all know if any of us get lead poisoning.

Homecoming for the 7-8yr. old Brighton White team........


Whatever that means at this age. The cheerleading coach made all the girls crowns so that they could all be "homecoming queens". I love it!!!! We played the team from Superior and we won. So far we are 3-0. I think it's because of the great coaching!

Well Bob and Renae have left to go on their next adventure......... to the Kenya, Nairobi, Africa mission.

We will miss them and pray that they will be taken care of in their mission for the Perpetual Education Fund for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


WE LOVE YOU!!!




Like the Bronco Jersey in the picture?

Which is better... A stimulant or fungal infection!?




So for those that don't already know I have become a closet asthmatic. My last Dr. visit they told me that I was using my inhaler too much. She said that albuterol is a "scarry" stimulant. So they did the nice breather test thing (those are technical terms) and according to my results I was only breathing out 75% of my lung capacity instead of the reccomended 85%. So along came the perscription for the steroid inhaler. As she was explaining what that is she said...." you don't need to worry about the normal side effects of a steroid because you are inhaling it into your lungs. Just make sure that you drink lots of water or gargle after the "puffs" in the morning and night. It can stick to the back of your throat and cause a fungal infection."

OK, a fungal infection sounds worse to me than using a "scarry" stimulant.

-Side Note- This is what a nerd I am........ I only use my inhaler during allergy season because that's the only time I ever have attacks, so I don't classify myself as an asthmatic. So when the Dr. gave me the steroid the first thing that I though of was " Oh crap, this better not be permenant or it is really going to screw up my life insurance." Can you tell me what industry MY husband is in?

Sleep deprived and ......... The Laundry quadrupled!!?

So Dan and I got to go out with some friends on Sat., thanks to grandma and grandpa coming up to babysit the kid-o's. They lucked out by only having three of the four. Tanner went roller skating with his buds and then over to one of their houses to play the rest of the night. The other three got lucking partaking of B.K. and playing at our neighborhood park with the cool grandparents.

I have been dying to see our friends home he his building (not for himself but to sell). Dan has been talking about how amazing it is and how well thought out and detailed Conley is about building it. All the doors are solid alder , my dream choice for kitchen cabinets, and the doors don't have casings. They are hinged right into the door frame. Needless to say it is a beautiful house in Windsor, Colorado. After seeing the house we went to good o'l C's (old chicagos) and partook of football and good food. We had a wonderful night with the Hoskin's and Jablan's.

We get home and all is well. We say our good byes and thank you's to Grandparents (Thank you's never seem enough for how really appreciative we are to have them), and call it a night. At about 12:30 am poor little Jake wakes up, and I go get him and put him in bed with Dan and I. He settles down and then not 5 min. later............He throws up everywhere. DING DING, my internal intuition is blaring "you are in for a long night!" So from then until 3am he threw up at least 4 times, change our sheets twice and he finally gets comfortable enough to go to sleep again. Then at 6 am here comes the other little man......"mommy I'm sorry! I didn't make it to the bathroom and I puked on the carpet." OOOHHH Zack "it's ok, lay here in mommy's bed with Jake and I'll go clean it up." Which I did. I go back to my room (Dan is at some early morning meetings for work, and yes it was a Sunday). Just as I settle in to sort of go back to sleep, Zack does it again. There goes the last pair of sheets that fit our bed, and now Jakes awake and covered as well. I am now up for the day and get both the boys in the tub, put the sheets in the washing machine.

Jayla appears. "mom, my stomach doesn't feel very good." "Oh honey, I am so sorry you can go sit in the bathroom with your brothers. If you need to throw up try REALLY hard to throw up in the toilet, OK?" everyone is now clean 3 of the 4 don't look good at all. I try to get my mind set to deal with the rest or the day not getting frustrated and loosing my cool on the poor sick-o's. Tanner is fine and just his laid back self for the rest of the day somewhat oblivious to the puking around him. After Dan gets home we decide it is better to stay home from church and he will stay home with me since I am sleep deprived and have showered twice from being thrown up on, to help out. It didn't take much coaxing since the Bronco game came on at 2pm (church starts at 1:30). He was a big help in holding the 2 younger ones( they cried unless someone was holding them, which made it impossible to clean up) while I cleaned up the messes and dealt with Jayla.

SO HOW WAS EVERYONE ELSES SUNDAY!?

FOR ALL YOU STAY AT HOME CEO'S......

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Playing Major Catch-up.............

First these are pics from our trip to mexico (April 28-May2)
All the ruins are at Chichin Itza. Run a google search it's pretty cool.
There is a picture of Dan jumping in a big sink hole they call sinotas(?). I jumped too, but Dan sucked at picture taking and only got my splashes. We jumped from a cliff about 20 ft. up from the water. There is also a picture of a huge iguana on a tree. They are every where. There is a ring around the sun, but only right above the main temple. The main temple is the third picture up from the bottom.
We stayed at the Palladium hotel in the Riviera Maya, which is south of Cancuun. Needless to say I want to go back!!

INTERMISSION.............


Due to internet connection problems I am unable to post things very regularly. As soon as the problem is fixed I will continue blogging. It is summer and Water World season has began so I will need to get things going to keep you all updated. Love you all...

Emily

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Catch up Time Again..........

Ok, I am completely failing at keeping up to date on my blogging. I am playing catch up. Since March Madness we have done a lot of celebrating. We celebrated....

Martha and Cami's visit during our Spring Break- It was so great to see them. We miss them and Jayla and Cami loved hanging out with another girl and playing full-on girly stuff together.

Jakes 1st birthday (march23)- Loved the chocolate cake! I will get pics posted ASAP. I can't believe that our baby is growing so big. He walks and tries to run after the "others". He watches the kids jump on the trampoline and now "jumps" thinking everything is bouncy.

Tanners Big 8 year old B-day(march 28)- Briefly posted about this big event. The baptism itself was great. There were 6 baptisms and all were boys. It moved a long really well. We hit 2 birds with one stone by Robby (Tanner's cousin)coming to Brighton to be baptized at the same time.

My 31st birthday(april 4)- Dan was gone, but sent me flowers in his absence. They are beautiful (not totally dead, yet). He could never know how much that meant to me. I didn't want to cook so I took the kids to Wendy's. I don't ever like to cook when Dan is gone, because the kids are happy with grilled cheese and "red" soup. They wanted me to take them to Lone Star. Ya right, Me alone with 4 kids under 8. I did buy myself some new shoes and a new pair of shorts (trying to have a decent wardrobe when I go to Mexico, instead of sweats and lame T-shirts that I live in.)That was a feat in itself, since those that know me know I HATE to by myself anything. I have issues in my older age. That I'm sure will be blogged later. I am beginning to think I am MENTAL.

My life has now just taken another busy detour. We now have Cub Scouts and baseball to fit in our already tight schedule. I am turning into a scheduling Nazi. Nothing can be thrown into the mix without ample notice. I am more of a perfectionist as I get older.
IE: I spent 3 hours cleaning the unfinished basement. I threw toys away and couldn't leave it at putting things back in their rightful places. I had to sweep and vacuum the cement floor! I don't know what gets over me.

The Pictures below are Raenie's idea from her blog.I loved theirs so thought I would see what our family pictures produced.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

2 upset children in 2 days

The last 2 days have had some drama in them. Yesterday Jayla got her name "moved down" on the board. I found out from a little boy who is always looking for ways to upset her. He said that she had gotten her named moved down and since it was from him I said "ya, right. Jayla did not get her named moved down. Stop trying to tease her." She immediately started a melt down. I tried to console her and tell her I didn't believe him, but the break-down continued. I sat there for a minute...... and then I said "You really did get your named moved down?!"

"Yes" she said between sobs. I tried to make out what had happened between the hyperventilating. The last thing she said was "...then Mrs. Martinez moved my name down. My stomach hurt really bad then. I wanted to throw-up" So basically her story was that her and her friends were whirling their sweatshirts around. She, unfortunately, had a jacket with a zipper. She then accidentally hit a kid in the head. This was her first "felony", and hasn't had the chance to become a hardened criminal yet. So you can see why her sensibilities were so tragically hurt. I let her know that she was not in trouble with me (which her little snitch said she would be) as long as she said she was sorry to the wounded child and not swing her jacket around any more.

Then, today while I was volunteering at school and specifically in Tanners class tragedy struck again. I was grading papers when I saw Tanner return from the bathroom rather quickly. My ears perked up when I heard him try to tell his teacher that there was a kid in the bathroom teasing him. She didn't really respond, due to 5 other children vying for her attention. He told her again, this time she looked at me and said "well, your mom is here. Take her to go check it out." Gladly I did. As I walked down the hall I tried to squelch the momma bear inside me, who just wanted to rip the kids chest open and stop on his heart. I told Tanner to go ahead to the bathroom and I would wait in the hall. If the kid was still in there to come out and tell me. As soon as Tanner walked in I could here him saying "No, it wasn't me!"

The story is this....the first time Tanner went to the bathroom this 3rd grader came in. After Tanner had done his "business" . There was a toilet there that was clogged with toilet paper. The kid accused him of doing this. Tanner said it wasn't him and then giggled. The kid continued to pressure Tanner and say that it was him, and "what's so funny. You got a problem?! " So , on and on it continued until Tanner came back to class .

Now, here's where I am standing outside the boys bathroom waiting for this punk. After Tanner stated his innocence again, he came out. I told Tanner to go back to class and I would handle it. The "idiot" child came out and spotted me (not hard, I was blocking the entrance). "Do you have a problem with the kid that just came out of here?" I said. He shook his head. "Why are you giving him a hard time?" "I don't know" was his answer. As we stood there and stared at each other, he began to talk. Stating the story above except trying not to sound like he was being a bully. "I just thought it was him that used that much toilet paper." My reply was this, still trying to remember I was at a school and not in nature..." Listen kid. The next time someone tells you it wasn't them, you stop right there and take their word. The next time you decide to push around that kid, I will hunt you down!" Not once did I tell the crap head that the kid he decided to target was my own.

Come to find out that stupid 3rd grader bullies lots of children. Hopefully after today he will think twice about it. Tanner had strict instructions to inform me if he ever remotely threatens Tanner again.

So, far that is the end of our drama.

Tomarrow Dan comes home!!! YA!!!!!!!!

-Coming Clean-

So I am a pretty private person, so this will be pretty hard. I have decided to use this blog more as a journal rather than just sort of general info about the goings on in the Lewis home. I will try to be more honest about the "real" things in my life.

This comes about as sort of being a voyeur to other peoples blogs, not really participating, but being glad to know that other people struggle in life and that not everyone has it "together" like I think.

Their blogs has made me more comfortable in my own daily struggles of life and children so I thought I might pay-it-forward. Hopefully I don't burst any one's bubble who thinks my life is sooo pulled together. ;)

So Dan is out of town. He left yesterday and will be back on Thurs. evening, and then will leave again early Fri.to Vail and be home again late that night. So basically he is gone the whole week. Right now he is in Santa Barbara at a conference for Farmers. This is a yearly thing, but why they have to choose it to be the week of my birthday who knows. That is why Jacob was induced last year so that Dan wouldn't miss his #4 child's birth. I always feel bad when he leaves because he hates being gone from us for any length of time. I miss him as well except I still have the daily grind of life to help keep my mind off it a little. Since the beginning of the year he has been gone alot. First a few days in Vegas, then Kansas City , Moab, Sacramento (that was with me, though), Santa Barbara and then in a month to Cancun ( at least I get to go there too). So I know that I don't have it as bad as some people. But, it still sucks when he leaves. The kids miss him tremendously, and want to call him for EVERYTHING he seems to be missing out on in their minds. At least he will be home on Sat. Just in time for Tanner's baptism.

Tanner is such a young man in training. Last Wed. the 28th was his birthday. We told him that we would take him shopping for a suit, so we/ I did. We found one at Sears. He also found a tie. A REAL tie, not a clip on. He begged me over and over to buy it for him. He thinks that clip-ons are for little boys. I mean he IS 8yrs old. I gave in. That night was his interview with the bishop for baptism. I told him to go put something nice on. He came down stairs with his suit and tie on. It was so grown up of him. He had tried to tie the tie himself. I was so proud of him. After helping him fix a few things, we got in the car. I had the radio on and he said "Mom will you please change the music to church music. I am in a suit and need to listen to something "good" ". WOW!