Holy Crap - I'm blogging!

It seems that time has just flown by since last spring. Here it is October, and I have no idea where I have been! (That is normal for me :))

I am just going to shove a whole bunch of pictures on here. If you choose to read on, you will see what our summer consisted of.....

The Last Day of School May 28th- Dylann sang "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" in front of the whole elementary (106 kids) and their parents. Now remember, Dylann will not speak out loud to anyone, but she loves her a solo. Weird-o!

We bought Lagoon passes this summer and had a blast! Spent time with friends and family riding rides that make me sick now, but loved as a teenager. Ryann was so fun to watch. She loved kiddie land. It was nice to be able to let Rylie, Dylann & Kendall go off on their own, or with friends, so I could live it up on 'PUFF'! If I never ride that dragon again it will be too soon! The only bad thing about Lagoon, was......

The freaky house of dolls and clowns! I hate, hate, hate DOLLS! I know, how can I possibly hate dolls when I have 4 daughters? Long history of evil doll nightmares. Major source of anxiety. And to add to the fear and peeing of my pants, the Lagoon people have put up freaky clown posters that look like someone shot Smiley the Clown in the forehead. New source of anxiety!

Topher made it to Lagoon a time or two with us. I made him take in his share of kiddie land. He loved the swings...

Kendall played AYSO soccer in Evanston at the beginning of summer. She was AWESOME! Lucky #7. The first night she met her team, all kids who go to school in Evanston, she kicked the ball hardcore into a boys head. I don't think he ever was on the field next to her the rest of the season.

Ryann had her first experience with T-Ball. She happily played in one game, and refused to be in the team photo. Topher and I coached Kendall & Dylann's team. I did not take any photos of our games. One game I did almost get hit by a foul ball. Lucky for me, I was able to shove Ryann in the path of the ball. So I was fine.

I was the 'Craft Specialist at YW's Camp. I made Topher be my assistant. We made the cutest clocks out of cd's. We had the opportunity to give a ride to and from camp to a super funny, super cute, super kind lady named Laurel Christensen. She is an awesome speaker! I totally felt the Spirit with every word she spoke. http://deseretbook.com/auth/15428/Laurel_Christensen

Rylie actually participated in the skit. She is the rock star with the black hair and pink guitar!

We went on the annual Russell island Park trip with my family. I forgot to pack the camera, but packed a million other things I didn't even use! When my dad gets me our pictures, I'll post a few. We had so much fun!

Next thing you know, school is back in!

Rylie started 8th grade. Her last year in Junior High! She is still a book-aholic. If there is a type of AA for this, I need her to join. Reading is her life! She tells me daily that I am killing her because everything I cook is disgusting! She wants to turn me in to DFS.

Dylann started Junior high. A big 6th grader! She is in choir and can't stop singing. Heaven help me. She is a texting fool. She texts me from the next room instead of talking to me.

K-dogg (Kendall) is in 3rd. She loves anything to do with SKULLS! She is part pirate, part crazy person! She is so funny! She loves her scars, war wounds and the stories that go with them.

Ryann is in ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN! It's super-d-duper! It is a little sad that my baby is in school. I didn't cry or anything like that. It was weird at first that I did not have a shadow following me undoing all my hard work. Her first day of school was a little traumatic. She spilled her lunch tray and got chocolate milk and sauce all over herself. I had to bring a change of clothes. After I changed her, she asked, "How many more hours do I have to do this?" The next day she hid under her desk drinking her milk because she was not ready to toss it in the trash and get back to work. Mrs. Weston had to pull her out. Then a few days later, she had two accidents 1/2 hour apart from each other. All is going well now. When I go in on Mondays to help, she is content to sit on her own chair and not on my lap. Her teacher takes a picture of all the kids to put up on the wall, this is Ryann. I could not get the marker off her face before we went for the picture.

That about sounds up our life to this point. But just for fun, here is a picture of a freaky bird that fell out of our pine tree and I chased down in the rain to get it's photo. I bet his peeps were taking photos of me chasing their friend saying, "That is one freaky looking human that came out of that BIG HUGE 12 PASSENGER VAN her husband bought even though they only have 4 kids!

Paging Dr. Stapel!

Alta View Hospital had a Community Health Fair a few weeks ago - so Ryann, Kendall & I stopped by to see my mom manning her booth & get some free stuff :)!

There were little booths to get your eyes checked, blood pressure, tours of the x-ray room, birthing room, ER, and our favorite - THE OPERATING ROOMS!

Ryann and Kendall dressed up as Doctors and did an Appendectomy, stitches, staples, removed muscle from a bone (pig foot) & dissected an eyeball (grape).

Maybe they will be operating on you someday!

Happy "Patrick's" Day!

It is very hard to explain to a 4 year old that it is not "Patrick's Day" .

I guess he does wear green swim trunks :)

Sorry about the following picture. I googled images of Patrick Star & this popped up! Was someone really serious when they dressed up like this? ............................

I can't stop looking at Johnny Depp!

I listen to the radio on my computer at work, "AOL Fresh Hits". Every so often a new song comes on from the new Disney movie Alice In Wonderland with Johnny Depp. When a song comes on, a picture of him as the Mad Hatter shows up:

It is a little creepy, I admit. But I still love it. Ever since I was young and 21 Jump Street was on TV, I have loved Johnny Depp. I wished he would come do some undercover police work at my school :)Then there was The Headless Horseman. He was so cute:

Edward Scissorhands (I made my kids watch this and forced them to love Johnny!):

OK, now Willy Wonka was a little weird:

I think this makes up for that crazy just a little, don't you?

I love they way he gets into his characters. From Benny in Benny & June, to Victor Van Dort in the Corpse Bride. I even liked him in Sweeny Todd.

He is so cute! (I know, I am weird :))

How long have you missed me?

I didn't realize I had not blogged about my crazy life since the girls started school back in August! I am sure everyone who follows my awesome blog sat by their computer, just waiting for my bits of wisdom. JUST KIDDING!

So, soon, my friends, I will begin again!

First Day of School 2009

School is ON!

August is the dreaded month every year. Once we get the Russell Family Island Park Trip out of the way (THIS WAS FUN, I promise!) we move on to fair week. Selling the girls' freakish 4-H lambs at the auction.

BIG SHOUT-OUT to:
Cal Ranch of Logan who bought Rylie's lamb "Lazy Mayzee" & Wal-Mart of Evanston who bought Dylann's lamb "Dominique".

Once fair is over, I have a week to cram in last minute fun activities, work & school shopping! This year, I was on my own. Christopher was out in West Virginia for work. If you ask the girls, there were no fun activities! We spent 2 nights at my parent's, did laundry to prepare for school & I made the girls CLEAN THEIR ROOMS! I did sew them some pretty sweet school bags this year. Christopher's idea, my job!

Our family goal this year is to be in bed Sunday through Thursday by 9:00 pm, after Family Prayer of course. Everyone wake up at 6:30 am with dad. Rylie to the bus at 7:20 am. Dylann & Kendall to school at 8:00 am. Ryann is left sleeping as the morning rush is on and I sneak out of the house to DRIVE my two 1 1/2 blocks to their elementary school. (The longer she stays asleep, the better for everyone involved.) It worked twice this week. I said it was a goal. Some goals take years to achieve.

Rylie has a 40 minute commute to and from school each day. Luckily, this gives her time to do her homework, if she has any. She is in the 7th grade this year. How she made it this far, I just don't know :) J/K - She is a smarty pants! I just cannot figure out where time went. (Que in the mood music & memory sequences......)
Dylann is in 5th. The oldest of the school this year. She is not taking this responsibility lightly. She has worried about it for weeks. What if she is no good at being friends to those younger than her? Because 5th graders are so respected in the hierarchy of elementary school. (Another memory sequence, this time of me & Tami Carlson living it up in Mrs. Stockman's class at Crescent...)Kendall is a big 2nd grader now. She thinks it "FREAKIN' ROCKS!". She loves school. After day two, she was so exhausted. I don't know what it is about her, "Live Fast, Play Hard!" She is a total tomboy. Luckily school is only 4 days a week. By Thursday night, she is a walking zombie and needs a 3 day weekend to recharge!
Ryann, she is just ticked off everyone went without her. Only one more year of her torturing me :) I love our one-on-one time. She is too clever for her own good! I have to keep a constant eye on her, or who knows what will be destroyed. The blurry picture hides all the construction that is going on in my front room. It also does not allow you to see that she woke up with her head coming out of an arm hole & her butt hanging out the neck hole of her dad's t-shirt :) That was her "first day of school for her sisters" outfit.

Island Park 2009

The Annual Russell Island Park Trip was 3 weeks ago.....

We spent another glorious fun & family filled week up in Island Park this year! The whole fam damily was there. Jeff, Liz & their 5 boys (we were hoping the early arrival of #6 would be our "What did you do on your summer vacation" story), Laura & Payton, Grandpa & Grandma, and us.We usually stay on the East Side, near Mack's Inn. There are so many ATV trails near by, rivers to float, etc. This year we stayed on the West Side, closer to Island Park Reservoir. We need to do a bit more exploring over on this side.

We stayed at a nice little cabin in the "Enchanted Forest". 4 bedrooms, one for each family. 2 bathrooms. One for the girl's & one for the boy's. My girls spent a morning making signs for EVERY door before the boys arrived, so that they knew NOT to use the girl's bathroom. And a sign to 'Not Disturb' Grandpa. The week was filled with relaxing, NOISE, reading books, NOISE, pruned kids, and MORE NOISE. The kids rode bikes, played in the hot tub, played games, played in the hot tub, rode the 4-wheelers, begged to play in the hot tub, and watched t.v.. There was a nice little island in the middle of the "neighborhood". The kids could ride the 4-wheelers all around, with in sight of the front porch. One night we were complained on, even though it really was not us! Whatever you people who cannot have any fun on vacations! Grandpa boondoggled with the kids. Grandma did crafts. I did laundry. That makes me happy :) We went to the Lewis & Clark State Park in Montana one day. We spent a few hours exploring the Caverns. It was so cool, both to look at and the temperature. We saw a colony of mommy bats. My kids acted like they have never seen a bat before. Wanting pictures of each one. Some places in the Caverns you have to slide on your butt, crawl on the ground, and suck your tummy in. It was the play land at McDonalds, but in the dark & slimy. We kept waiting to here cries of help from my dad, but he made it through like a trooper. The day was beautiful when we made the hike to the Caverns. When we left - HOLY CRAP! A massive hail storm overtook us. You could not see an inch out of the window. The hail was large marble size. I thought for sure our car would be covered in dents. It lasted for 5 miles. People were pulled of, waiting out the storm. Not us, we went head on into the flooded abyss.
We also spent a day in West Yellowstone. We needed a little Salt Water Taffy. The girls were looking for the perfect souvenir. Rylie found a used book store - a book was her souvenir. Ryann & Kendall also picked books. Dylann bought a funky purse, made in Mexico. We ate pizza & pasta at "Pete's". Kendall was sad because she could not decide what to eat. So we ordered a little of everything. And she ate it ALL! Rylie grossed me out by eating her spaghetti on her roll. She is so like her dad. The end of our week it rained a lot. So there was not much 4-wheeling. Christopher & I took a fun ride out into the trees. ALONE. Wink, wink! That never happens. The being able to be alone, and the wink, wink! :) On the last day of the trip, we took the girls to "Our Spot" and took a few pictures. Ryann was sure we were going to toss her in the river. She had silly pigtails in, would not sit still & cried the whole time.
We stopped in Idaho Falls to see the Temple. I had wanted to get out and walk around it. When we got to it, everyone just wanted to eat! Off to Applebee's we went. Ryann was so kind here to add a little color to the nice pictures on the walls above our booth. Good thing we were just passing through, no one knew it was the 'bad Stapel kids'!

We look forward to this trip every year. The only sad thing is, that it comes at the end. I cannot believe another summer is over! Thanks Mom & Dad!