Labor Day in Arizona!!!

For Labor Day, we decided to go visit Shane's sister and her family, who recently moved to Arizona. They live up in the mountains about an hour south of Flagstaff.... in the middle of NOWHERE!!!! It is WAY up in the sticks... but BEAUTIFUL!!! We decided to take our four wheelers and motorcycle to have some good ol' fashioned outdoor fun!! And boy, was it ever fun!!! Our kids kept saying that they want to live there and didn't want to come home. We rode four wheelers, got lost, shot gophers, saw an ENORMOUS herd of ELK, caught giant 'crawdads', got lost, drank LOTS AND LOTS of hot chocolate, went to church with 'Grizzly Adams' and his friends at the local LDS Branch, caught lizards, got lost, played in the campfire, ate all of Aunt Jamies food, played in the treehouse and had a BLAST!!!!
We arrived late on Friday night. So, Saturday, we were ready to get outside and have fun!! Uncle Dustin needed help herding some cows from one pasture to another. So, he drew Shane a 'map' (that is kindof an oxymoron because a 'map' would imply that it helped us find our way.... let's just say it was a good drawing of where we 'should' have been able to go if we were even remotely familiar with the area.... which we were NOT AT ALL!!!! ) We took #1 and #2 and four- four wheelers to drive. We were 'suppose' to meet Dustin at certain 'water hole' in about 20 minutes. Well, we got to 'a' watering hole in about 20 minutes and waited there for about 30 minutes... after a while, we gave up and decided to try another road. All the while, we were suppose to be herding cows to a different 'pasture'!! We had seen a few cows, but didn't know which pasture or which way to herd them... so we went exploring. After about 1 hour, we found some cows and just started herding them up into a group 'that way'!!! We had no idea where we were suppose to take them... but we were so excited to find them, that we were just herding them along 'that way'!! IT WAS SO..... FUN!!!! If you have never herded cows on a four wheeler.... you should add it to your list of 'things to do before I die'!!! I am not kidding!! It sounds silly, but it was so fun... Finally, we found Dustin and he told us we were going the wrong way..... surprising, eh?? So, we turned them around and went 'that way' instead!!! Either way, we had a blast!!! We finally got them into the pasture where they needed to go. As we finished, it started to rain. It wasn't just sprinkling either.... it was coming down hard. Like a 'cow peeing on a flat rock' pouring rain!! We were all wearing sweatshirts and nothing waterproof, so, Dustin sent us off to find the 'road' which would be a faster way for us to get home. He gave Shane the directions... which were kindof unclear... but in Shane's optomistic attitude.... he just figured we would find our way....eventually.....!! We were looking for a road marked 82---after a few minutes, we came to a road marked 93.... not even close to 82... we could go right or left... we went right..... We (#2 and I) were feeling quite lost at this point and very wet, muddy and cold. #2 just kept saying, 'we're gonna die!!" I was praying and praying that we would find the right road..... Dad and #1 were loving the mud the rain and the whole adventure!!!! THEN, all of sudden, this truck with a hunter in it is there... on the same road we are on... in the pouring rain... in the middle of the forest.... like a beacon in the desert!!! I was in the back of the pack and the only one that thought it was 'ironic' that he would be there at that point in time... so I stopped and asked for directions. After he told me we were going the 'opposite' way we should have been... I chased down my family to have us turn around. It took me quite a while to catch up to them... as they didn't even know I had stopped.... I could have been back on the road DEAD and they wouldn't have even noticed!! Feeling just a 'tad' frustrated....that FIRST.... they didn't think we NEEDED directions and SECOND that they weren't even aware that I wasn't following behind them... Of course, Shane is laughing and thinks this whole thing is "AWESOME"!!! I was furious!!!! We could be lost forever and he thinks it is funny!!! Anyway... after about another HOUR of riding in THE RIGHT DIRECTION in the pouring rain... we were all COVERED in MUD...... and couldn't have been more wet if we had jumped into a lake....ALAS, we made our way back to Aunt Jamie's house safe and sound... !!!!
After all.....it was PRETTY AWESOME!!!!


Thanks Aunt Jamie and Uncle Dustin for a SUPER FUN WEEKEND!!!

Stickers, Underwear and High Heels

This may sound like an 'inappropriate' title to an 'inappropriate' movie.....Don't worry, it's just our cute #5 and her latest fashions!!! (Although, Shane wishes I would sport this 'look' once in a while.... I could never pull it off nearly as well as our Boo!!!!)

Frustrated that she can't get them off!!

Her favorite scowl...
By the way, she had quite a bit of help putting all of these stickers on!!!

WHAT A HOTTIE!!!

Where Did Summer Go??

Did I miss it? I swear it was here.... but now it's gone!!! What happened to 100 days of fun?? Well, we did have fun... but it ended all too quickly. School is already here, it came so fast that I forgot to take pictures of the first day of school.... we'll get some later, right.... it's not like it's ending any time soon!!! Here are some of our 'last days of summer'!!

We brought home two more cute boys on our trip up north. We all had so much fun with the Idaho cousins here to visit for two weeks!!! Thanks for coming boys!!!

Notice someone is missing some 'church' pants-

they came off the minute we walked in the door!!

CRAZY BOYS!!
( MIA is #1 - he had already left for scout camp)


We took one last trip up to Idaho to see family and visit Shane's Dad in the hospital.
His Dad's '15 day miracle' is a whole other story.... for another day..... but here's the rest of our trip...

Boise Cousins......

Someone takes after their DAD!!! Sticking things up his nose...
This is my brother's #2!!! What a cutie


This is our '15 year old' - 4 year old cousin!!! He is Uncle T's oldest son!!
What a crack-up he is!!

Bub is climbing the rock wall.....


Up, Up, UP!!!
Getting nervous.....

He made it!!! Go BUBBEE!!!!

#1 on the rock wall.....

#3.... she was really nervous!!!

#2.... just a walk in the park!!!

Cute Gavin!!!

'DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!

AND I MEAN IT!!!'

Taking the little ones down the slide.... weeeee......!!!!

Sliding with Aunt Kalee.....

Sliding with big brother.......

Uncle T and his little Gavin!!!

Kissing Cousins......so cute!!!

That's Maura's KISSING FACE!!!

What a fun trip!!!!!

Dr. Anyone???

So, last week was one of those weeks that come along every so often, that you pray will not return for a VERY VERY LONG TIME!!! It all started on Sunday evening-- #3 was having a stomach ache and couldn't sleep then on Monday-- #2 woke up with a sore throat and a headache. No big deal, right... - well my recent 'neck/back' injury had me visiting the Neurologist on what I thought was Monday morning... so I leave at 7:30am to be at the Dr. for a some tests-- well, I get there to find out that my appointment is the following day!!! FUN FUN-- lame mistake-- well- at least I got an early start to my day. Not to mention, Shane had to leave town on Tuesday to return Thursday.... great timing, eh??? So, by Tuesday #2 is really feeling sick.. so we head back to the Neurologist at 7:30am for my real appointment... $50.00, then to the pediatrician for a sick visit $25.00. Sure enough-- STREP! So its to the pharmacy for some medicine $20.00. By Tuesday afternoon... I am feeling sick as well, but it's to the pool I go with a good dose of advil. The Wednesday I woke up with my neck and back hurting AGAIN. So... I make an appointment for the Chiropractor. Then ,Wednesday evening #1 is off to mutual on his bike because I am in the pool and Dad is out of town. A few minutes later he comes running through the gate with his face all bloody and crying in pain, muttering something about crashing and a towel and ....... so I hop out of the pool, among the friendly spectators and small children and take him into the house to check him out. It was playtime, luckily, so I had a few minutes... I give him several bags of ice for his wounds, some advil, have him lay down and tell him to stay there for an hour until I will be done with lessons. I give the rest of the kids instructions to get him whatever he needs and to let me know if anything crazy happens. Of course DAD is out of town.. so the kids are thinking he is going to DIE....he had a really nasty bump on the front of his head was bleeding from several places and was hurting everywhere. Evidently, he tied his towel onto the handle bars, which fell off and got stuck in the front tire. Well, he was bookin pretty fast, so, with his 'extreme' speed and the sudden stop of the front tire... he got to greet the pavement with his head and face. EEEKK... I checked on him several times that night to make sure he would wake up.... The next morning, I had #3 and #4 saying they had sore throats and a headache, so.... I took the youngest three kids to the Dr.!!! First we stopped at the Chiropractor for me.. $50.., then the pediatrician $75.oo. Sure enough, STREP!! So, back to the pharmacy for another $40.00 in medicine. After our Dr. visit, I get home to a dizzy and tired #1.... and not having enough time to take him to the Dr. before swim lessons, I have Dad take him to the Dr. when he gets home that evening....$50.00!!! Well, Shane has also been feeling sick all this time while out of town... so on Friday he's off to the Dr.. .. $25.00!! With $20.00 in medicine. Then, I get this great phone call from the Hospital saying that 'they are not a provider for our insurance'!!! WHAT??????? Why did they do a CAT scan and XRAYS if they don't take our insurance??? They said, 'by law, we are not allowed to discuss that in the ER.' Are you kidding??!!! How dumb is that!!!???? So, as a 'courtesy' they will bill our insurance.... but our insurance isn't obligated to pay!!! NICE!!!! So, our $50.00 copay might just be a small portion of what we get left with!!! Well -- I hope they are in a good mood when they get the bill for all of the stuff they did to #1-- turns out he is okay but had a concussion. I guess I should be thankful that we have Dr.s and medical care... but I am still adding up the $$$$$$!!! "It could be worse.... I could only have one eye!!!" Here is a picture of some of the DAMAGE!!!

(at least he has a smile!!) By the way, I went back to the Dr. on Monday for another $100.00!!!!