LONG TIME NO HEAR FROM ME

I have been chastized by my children that I haven't kept up my blog.  Actually, I have, just not published it as I needed to put pictures with my posts.  So that is what I will be doing the next few days - going back in time to get all caught up on my life.  I figured I would post some pictures that went with what I had written a long while back and didn't post pictures because it takes me a long time to get my film developed....  Allison who didn't know Michael at the time might appreciate the first few pictures.

Michael at the Marriot Center for his graduation.

Michael getting his diploma.

 
   

Michael, Brad and Kaitllin

Brad, after our all-night drive to Provo, then graduation, staying up
visiting with family, and now finally getting a break!  (He has done
this at every single wedding of our kids, as well as on our RV trip
afterwe spent all day pushing and pulling a heavy handcart.  So
this is a familiar site for our family!)













NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
Zach was inducted into the National Honor Society.  He is
very modest and doesn't think it is all that big of a deal, but
it really is.  One must have good grades, be involved in
various clubs and organizations in and outside of school,
 and you need recommendations from teachers and others. 

We are really proud of his good work and accomplishments.

Now I know why I don't blog very often.  That took me nearly an hour just to do that little bit and I am not even close to being done, so stay tuned as I continue to catch up by combining my pictures to my posts.

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas to All –

            I’m Zoey and I’m the lovable, give-me-some-more-attention, favorite, 3 year old, Collie Mix in the family.  It’s my year to write the family Christmas letter.  It was my turn last year but I was so busy exploring our new neighborhood, chasing geese and the wandering occasional goat off our new property, that really, I just didn’t have time.  Mom and Dad say this is my last chance to write the letter or it will be someone else’s turn.

            At the end of last year Mom and Dad had a new house built.  It’s bigger than the last one and there is lots of room for me to run and run.  I got new friends to chase tails with and all is good, but they only let me sleep in the garage.  Through the windows, it seems like it would be nicer to be inside.

            Based on how often I’m chasing the car away from, or back towards, the house, Mom and Dad are still really busy.  In November they were gone too long and a neighbor girl took care of me.  Something about a wedding at the Provo Temple and now I’m going to have to get use to a new big girl stopping by to visit.  Her name is apparently Allison and some people say she is really cute and nice.  Michael is a lucky guy; they showed me her picture.  They live in Provo where Allison goes to BYU and Michael works.

            Courtney and her husband Will live in Cheney, WA.  It’s about 2 hours away.  He is getting his Master’s degree to become a social worker and she is working.  I think I heard they are expecting a little girl puppy around March 3^rd.  They plan to name the puppy Whitney Anne.  Personally, I think “Zoey” or “Zoette” would be a better name.  She is getting pretty big, must be eating too many dog biscuits. 

            Erin and her husband David were married this year in the Columbia River Temple.  Lots of extra food; I just love big parties.  The house was packed and people were running all around like a bunch of wild dogs.  Man it must be tough to put together a wedding!  David is working on his Master’s degree in some computer field in Provo and Erin is working on her Bachelor’s degree in History (I think of Dogs).

            Zach is the big guy at home; bigger than Dad.  He is a senior in high school and recently earned his Black Belt in Taekwondo; whatever that is.  He pretends he doesn’t love me, but I’m sure he does.  He’s writing essays and filling out forms.  He wants to get a scholarship or two and go to BYU (look at that, I’m a poet and didn’t even know it).  He’s really good at school; I hear he got a 5 on the AP Calculus test.  He also just did his Eagle project at a city park.  Lots and lots of work but now the neighborhood dogs will have a place to go play.

            Kylee is now a freshman at the new high school in Pasco. No wonder that car of ours never stops moving.  She is involved in Key club, Buddy club, has piano lessons every week and studies all the time, and loves going to church dances.  No wonder she rarely comes outside to just roll around in the dirt with me.  Dad says all the boys like her and I’m supposed to bite their legs if they get too close.

            Kaitlin is my owner, or at least I let her think she is.  She’s awesome.  She feeds me and gives me water, and buys me treats, and plays with me, and makes sure I’m warm and clean.  She’s a great owner.  She’s very busy with Taekwondo and piano. It’s her first year in public school (or obedience school, or something). She gets good grades and studies really hard.  She loves to cook with Mom and does a great job.  She earned 1^st place in a pie making competition at the church fair.  I was so proud. 

            Conner is 7 now and keeps Mom really busy.  Conner doesn’t go away for school most days but instead stays home with Mom and she teaches him all sorts of math and reading and science. I’m so smart that I can roll over and play dead and fetch, but Conner must be really smart!  He has lots of fun playing with the neighborhood kids and looks forward to being baptized.  He likes video games and can crush Dad.

            Mom and Dad are busy taking care of the whole family.  Mom’s in the Relief Society presidency at church and Dad teaches Zach’s Sunday School class – bet Zach loves that.  Dad still works for Lockheed Martian or something like that.  May this season be one of love and happiness and appreciation of the Savior for you and yours. 

            Since my family was so lax and didn’t send out cards last year –  They would love to hear from you and I am interested in chasing off the mailman, so…  

 

And what a bummer - they didn't even include me in the family picture!  How rude is that?

The End of An Era

Well today is the end of an era in our family. We have been delivering the Tri-City Herald for at least the past 15 years, perhaps longer. But today was our last day. We have decided it is too much of a hassle and they are making it harder to be a "kid job." So we are done. All five of us went today whereas it is usually just two of us at a time, but we all wanted to do it the Last Day. Here is a picture of the kids with the very last paper at the very last house.

Proud Owners

WE ARE NOW THE PROUD OWNERS OF ONLY ONE HOUSE!

Conner's Right

I was talking to Conner as we were doing math and he asked me why he had to do such hard math. We have been doing borrowing and carrying and a bit of multiplication and fractions. At the time we had this conversation I was having him do mental math. Conner: Why do I have to do such hard math?
Me: Well, because you can.
Conner: Yeah, but I am only in kindergarten and this is a 2nd grade math book.
Me: Well, it isn't my fault someone in this house is really good at math. Now who do you suppose it is?
Conner: (NOT PAUSING TO THINK)Zach!

He must certainly be right. For the third year in a row Zach has won the golden bulldog for Pasco High School for math. Zach is really good in math, he is good in other subjects too and we are pleased with his good work.

Shelf Reliance Give Away

Shelf Reliance has the most awesome system of organizing your food storage for easy rotation. That is something I am terrible at. Here is the web address so you can get in on this giveaway. It is called Free on Friday. They will be having lots of giveaways so stay tuned to their site. http://www.shelfreliance.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/15/

Pizza on the Porch

Brad and Conner drew a chalk pizza on the porch. A big one with lots of pepperoni. I was kind of annoyed as it is on the porch and not on the driveway where rain and such can eventually wash it off. So the next morning I get up to take the kids on their paper route and there is all of these little black pellets all over this pizza. It was really weird and I was a bit worried about what animal left those little pellets. After coming home from doing the papers I kind of examined them a bit closer and decided they reminded me of when we had rabbits when I was growing up, except rabbits have green pellets. I used trusty google and decided that it must be a goat or sheep. Thanks goodness not a rat or mouse or a bat. I couldn't really figure out how that could have happened. Kylee said she heard Zoey barking in the middle of the night. So later that day as I was bringing Kaitlin home from piano lessons and we watched a goat go up Carl's (Jacob's next door neighbor) front steps. I decided it wasn't crazy then to have decided the pellets were goat pellets then, but it was a bit far for the small goat to travel. Then the next week I heard a sharp bark from Zoey in the middle of the day, the kind of bark she use to do at the other house when a squirrel went up one of our trees. So I opened the front door and their was the goat! It ran off with Zoey chasing it. Then last Sunday when we came home from church the goat was on the Moon's porch with Zoey barking at it from the outside and Roxie barking at it from the inside. As we drove up the goat ran off towards Carl's house with Zoey in hot pursuit, but she is too slow. I teased Brad and Conner for making such delicious pizza on our porch as it attracted a goat and we all know they will eat anything, perhaps even chalk pizza's.

P.S. I wanted to call the title Poop on the Porch - but didn't want to be so gross from the get-go.