happy halloween!

I'll help you....

Gwen LOVES to help me cook. Which is mostly fun and sometimes stressful. Today it was fun. I was making some breadsticks, it was time to stir everything together before I started kneading it. Gwen was holding a little tsp. and getting as involved as she could with it. I got out a wooden spoon and stirred it around above the bowl and ingredients, trying to show Gwen what to do, while saying excitedly, "Stir it, Gwen... Stir it!". Then I handed her the wooden spoon (which was much bigger and more important looking than her little tsp.). She was very excited- giddy even. She took the spoon and just started waving it like a magic wand above the bowl. It was so sweet and innocent , but what topped it off was how excited she was about the whole thing and you could tell she thought she was being so helpful. Waving and Waving like 2 1/2 year old little witch over her cauldron of bread... except not cackling- just smiling, and big, "proud of myself" breaths.
Love it.

lots and lots

Here are some photos from the past several months... I haven't put up photos in quite a while.

The first several are from a camping trip with the Elys. We love camping with them and this site was especially wonderful with a perfect little stream running through that was deep enough to play, but not deep enough to be scary.

everybody chasing dad/uncle todd

This is a semi-typical night at the young house (when todd is not at school or doing homework). Lilli reading and Dad resting/wrestling with the kids.

Todd took Lilli and Heidi out to Luke Air Force for this event they do every year with an Air Show and lots of fun military planes, etc. to climb in and learn about. They had a lot of fun!

Here's Heidi... a couple months ago.

What do I even say about this picture? All dressed up and nowhere to go??

Cheering Papa on for one of his hockey games. The guys he plays with now affectionately (or quite mockingly) call him "Papa".

I was in the shower one evening and told Lilli to hurry and get in bed and I would come talk to her when I got out. This is what I came out to. Quite adorable and the first time she had ever written or left me a note!

Jumping on the trampoline with Grandma Suzi.

Dress up with the Alger girls. Sara, Lilli, and Heidi where supposed to be doodle bops.

Lilli in a play she auditioned for in the summer. She was a Chameleon. It was very cute and fun and great experience for a young star!

it's a........

morbid maybe?

I know of someone who has just passed away and I'm touch by the things I've learned about her journey. I don't know her personally so it is not affecting me deeply beyond my sympathies for her friends and young family that she is leaving behind.
As I'm considering it and seeing posts from people who are grieving and some who are feeling angry, I'm just thinking about it and wondering how I would/do feel about it. I have to admit that as I'm considering her experience RIGHT NOW (not prior and not her family's losses), I kind of feel excited. Wow, think of all the things she is experiencing right now that we've spent our wholes lives wondering (and preparing) for...
I'm a little excited for that time in my journey (hopefully and prayerfully it will be many many many years from now).
so... morbid maybe?

Splush the Toilet!

Heidi is working on not forgetting to splush. I know this story doesn't compete with the last, but since it was time to let the other be copied and pasted into a more private journal for safe keeping, I had to replace it with something... and if you could see and hear Heidi saying it, I promise, you would be fulfilled and tickled.

dodge ball

Stephanie organized an incredibly fun Family Home Evening Activity. We played dodge ball with what seemed like hundreds of balls and at least that many children. We had a blast. Thank you Algers for doing all the work so we could come and play.
In one of the games, everyone lined up along the sides of the room and two people would try to run through the middle and make it to the other side without getting hit. Here's Jen and Steph's turn at it....

This is Dandi and me trying... I was hit a few million times.

Action shot.

Look at that amazing stance. I should go pro.

That's my Lilli girl. I think she was the last or second to last person to get out for at least one of the rounds. Good Job girly.

Jacob Black!

It's Jacob Black when he was just a little cub!!!!!

a lot of random

Todd hates these shoes. Every time I put them on he rolls his eyes and asks me why I don't just get rid of them..... well, todd, its because I like them.
I was going through my "pictures" file in my email and saw this, thought it was cute...
This was from our Rainy Ward Easter Party. It was a lot of fun!

So sexy... Dandi, why haven't you ever posted this one on your blog?

here's my best friend!

a little taste

Here are just a few shots from cousin camp.... lots of little girl cousins... thanks to tgff for another great retreat filled with learning and fun! check out The Gibney Family Foundation skit night: dancing to green eggs and ham!
ride 'em cowgirls!

gwen was absolutely fearless. i was very impressed!

tall tall world

"... and thank you in this tall, tall world, we can be safe..."

"... please bless that me and Lilli can teach Gwen how not to pinch and bite..."

sweet heidi prayers

so do you guys have clearplays yet???? it is so silly to watch any movie (other than disney) with out it. it is so great to watch whatever movie and have it COMPLETELY CLEAN. people say, "we don't watch that many movies" or "we are pretty careful" but careful??? i don't know.it's funny how sensitive your spirit becomes when you get so used to not hearing/ seeing anything. to watch things that i watched even a few years ago that i thought were pretty decent.... goodness, when you're used to nothing bad, anything bad is too much badness!!! i wish i had clearplay for my tv, but now that everything is digital we don't have any stations anyways. i'm not too worried about it. i'll miss late nights with everybody loves raymond, but how often did i stay awake for the whole episode anyway... right? okay, blabbing and maybe i sound like i'm on a high horse... i don't mean to, i'm just grateful for my clearplay and i would buy one for everyone for christmas if i knew for sure that they would use it. i'm barely kidding.

movies i am willing to watch more than once...

Ocean's 11, 12, 18... brad pitt, george clooney, and matt damon... i love the way they play off each other.

Music and Lyrics

The Perfect Man- I'm embarrassed to admit it... for some reason, I enjoy this movie. It's just light hearted enough that I don't have to sit down and watch it, but I enjoy hearing it in the background while I get stuff done.

Just Like Heaven- I love Reese Witherspoon. ditto to what I said about Perfect Man

All Jane Austen movies that I have seen thus far, however these movies are not good for getting other things done, because you have to sit and watch. Oh, and Becoming Jane is on this list too... Maybe not, because I'm always hesitant to let it brake my heart again and again and again... but I love James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway doesn't bother me in it either.

Monster Inc.- i love Billy Crystal and John Goodman in it... makes me laugh! (good background movie)

The Sound of Music. My girls are really starting to get into it and I love hearing them sing around the house. "I am 16 going on 17" and then "I am 17 going on 18" I think they finally stop around, "I am 28 going on 29". It's really cute!

Okay,
I can't think of any other movies that I own that belong on the list.
what movies do you like to watch more than once, or over and over and over. Disney movies barely count if you have kids under the age of 10.

have you seen this movie?

i love this movie sooo much. good laundry movie, or good sitting on laundry drinking a chocolate milkshake from sonic movie. its great, drew barrymore, hugh grant. constant awkwardness! love it!

blog, actually

so, i'm actually going to blog instead of post pictures or video clips.
Technology is great for relationships? Okay, so we are in touch with millions more people than we were or would've been 10 years ago, but I feel like meaningful "relationships" have been reduced to "commentships". I don't want to feel connected to someone because of their witty ability to respond to a picture. I want to have a conversation about something meaningful or go and be with them. So, I'm glad to be in touch with people, but I guess I want more with some of you. Letters aren't cool anymore, but I'm so awkward on the phone. Some of you guys I should have over for dinner, but some of you are too far away. Is email just not cool enough anymore? can't I write you something more in depth without having to "post it" for the world to see? I know a lot of people are "so anti" email, the new "snail mail". I never thought I'd be the old bitty speak out against technology. Maybe it's because I just created a facebook and I did because I'm sick of the invites and being unable to see your guys' pages because I don't have my own. I feel resentful because I've already gotten 3 million emails from facebook and all I see are other people's commenting and a tiny profile picture of my "friend".
REDEEMING QUALITY OF FACEBOOK? I did have a live chat with Liz that I thoroughly enjoyed. I have no idea how she initiated it but I'm glad she did. It was like a real conversation... live and reacting to eachother.

So, here is my second time to blog with information and feelings (actually I've done it several times late at night and then I always delete by the next morning because I feel incredibly vulnerable to just spit it out there to the universe, and I don't figure my personal release of text is that meaningful to too many people). Plus pictures of my kids are so much cuter. right?

is this normal?

It lasted about 2 days, this was in the middle of it when it was the worst. Ya, don't know what it was, but gone now. Allergies? Viral Pink Eye? idk

so funny

twilighters enjoy

BROOKLYN LADIES

So, why didn't we take a picture to mark the occasion? We get together once every.... 3 1/2 years and we didn't take a picture????

To my mutha' and my sista':

I had so much fun today. It was so great to catch up and to be with you again. It will never be like it used to be, but all things considered, I think that is GOOD. So mutha' see you in Africa?

Dakota, thanks for putting this together, and Carolina, thanks for driving !

Let's do it again, soon!

cottonwood

Todd on a mountain???

looking good? hey, I carried gwen on my shoulders on the way in...

child model or what??? i can't believe how grown up she is looking!

this is where we hiked to. big water hole with fun little cliffs to jump off...
we had a great time. i wish we went hiking every week!