Fall Catch up 2012

Wow, it's been a long time...We have had a lot happen in the past 7 months, so let me start back and work my way forward...
October 2012 - Happy Halloween!  We inherited a very nice camera that I am just now getting uploaded:), I don't see any pictures from October though:(  I also got a job working at nights cleaning at the university.  I feel like a ghostbuster with my backpack vacuum.

November - Happy Thanksgiving! - The kids entered the reflections contest with the theme of "The magic of a moment", and all won a ribbon.  Brooklyn painted a picture, Tina performed a play, and Braden's cookbook - "Microwave Magic" went on to regionals!!

 December - Merry Christmas!  This December was full of recitals, performances, and we had to throw in a Christmas tree party:)

 My soon to be Aunt Sandy, invited us to a fun cabin to see Santa Claus and have hot wassail and treats.

 The annual Chambers Christmas Party gets more fun every year!  The girls made a play, and involved the younger cousins.

our Annual Line up...I felt weird not holding a baby!

 Dave always gets really excited reading Santa's letter:)

 Lined up waiting their turn to open presents

 I got an ipod touch!  Now I can listen to Pandora or podcasts at work!

So that's this year's wrap up.  I will break up the posts to make them easier to read!

Summer Recap

Well, we are just a little behind.  I feel so lost without my camera.  I'm relying on Dave's iphone, and it's not the same.  We listed about 120 things on our summer bucket list.  And we got about 70 things done.  I think we will continue it next summer:)  We have also started a much smaller fall and winter bucket lists.  I am loving the ideas on pinterest that don't require any money, but do require lots of fun!  So in August, we moved across the street.  I will have to post pictures...when I get a new camera, but I can definately wait since we will be here for at least another 2 years!  That's right.  My dear neighbor Sarah, has agreed to rent out her house to us on the condition that we stay for 2 years.  That is music to my ears!  Now I can start to settle down!
Here are some of the documented activities we did: We went to Lake Powell with the Daines family in June to celebrate my Grandpas 80th birthday!  It was so much fun.  The whole time I was really amazed at how well the kids got along!  Fun all week long.  Then in August, we planned a camping trip to Flaming Gorge.  Dave's parents joined us for the last part of the week and we got to boat, tube, fish, and play in the water.

 Feeding the fish at the Flaming Gorge Dam

 Kids fishing

 My favorite: tubing with the kids makes me giggle!

 Tina and Braden tubing

 Kids driving the boat with Grandpa

 Cole had to hold Tina's hand in the boat:)

 Don't you love Cole's life jacket?

 For Cole's birthday, we had orange food and had to wear orange clothes - his favorite color

 Even Dave dressed up!

 We went to the Brigham City Temple open house - I can't believe it's done already!

 First day of School...

 Braden played baseball in June 

 Lake Powell with the floaties

All the kids decided to have a dance party on the top.

Along with the settling comes the busy-ness of figuring out finances, places for things, and activities to do with the kids.  Tina is continuing TaVaci with her cousin Sydnee as well as piano lessons and orchestra, Braden has joined Karate held at USU which he loves, we still have to get Brooklyn into either dance or gymnastics, and Cole is our tag-along.  I have aquired about 9 piano students (whom I adore!!) and also a job cleaning at nights at USU.  And Dave has started going to the gym in the morning.  Talk about stuffed schedules!!  I think we have it pretty much under control though now.  I guess I'll have to figure out how to survive the holidays!
And hopefully I can be more dedicated to updating anyone who is interested, or at least have a place to keep track of what's going on:)

Summer Adventures

I am so slacking in the photo department, but we are having a blast with the summer bucket list.  Even though there are still quite a few left, we mark off the ones we have done as well as what date we did them.  There are even a few the kids have contributed, like a wacky sandwich contest, park days, and balloon ping pong.  I'm so glad we have a list to choose activities we can do each day, and friends we can do it with.  Anything fun on your bucket lists?

Summer Bucket List

I love the ideas on pinterest!!  I have created a Bucket List that is probably too long, but I can't wait!  Here are my ideas:

[ ] Pool

[ ] Bowling

[ ] Movie Theatre

[ ] PJ party

[ ] Crafty Play-date

[ ] Backyard Water fun

[ ] Hike

[ ] Zoo

[ ] Library

[ ] Obstacle Course

[ ] Walk to Aggie ice cream

[ ] Bike Ride

[ ] park rating continued

[ ] Make Popsicles

[ ] Pet store trip

[ ] Pet groomer field trip

[ ] Teddy bear Picnic

[ ] Game night

[ ] Piñata

[ ] Feed ducks

[ ] Tie-Dye T-Shirts

[ ] Make sidewalk chalk and decorate!

[ ] Photo Shoot

[ ] Bean Bag Toss

[ ] Go for a Drive

[ ] Hopscotch

[ ] Dance party

[ ] Kids plan dinner

[ ] Cousins play

[ ] Kids’ theatre

[ ] Kids Art Museum

[ ] Dollar Store

[ ] Pen Pal notes

[ ] Pull Taffy

[ ] BBQ with friends

[ ] Mini golf

[ ] Sprinklers & Pinaqua

[ ] Visit Grandparents

[ ] Treats for neighbors

[ ] Cereal Necklace

[ ] Sleep in Tent

[ ] Boys and girls night out

[ ] Build with tools

[ ] Pillow fight

[ ] Food Tour

[ ] Dress ups

[ ] Service project

[ ] Bug hunt

[ ] Garden dinner

[ ] Bear Lake

[ ] Lake Powell

[ ] Nature walk and craft

[ ] Kids choice planting garden

[ ] Outside story time

[ ] Sail boats @ Central Park

[ ] Nature Center

[ ] Star Gazing

[ ] Painting

[ ] Bubbles

[ ] Paper Airplanes

[ ] Forts

[ ] Drive-in Movie

[ ] Makeovers

[ ] Visit Cemetery

[ ] Angry bird Lego’s

[ ] Puppet show

[ ] Museum

[ ] Authors Luncheon – write a book to share for lunch

[ ] Dance party

[ ] Macaroni necklaces

[ ] Bird Feeders

[ ] Play dough

[ ] Family soccer game

[ ] Cool whip fight

[ ] Water balloons

[ ] Catch

[ ] mud pie restaurant

[ ] Jump rope

[ ] Journals

[ ] mini Olympics

[ ] Tin can stilts

[ ] kids parade

[ ] Yard safari

[ ] String telephones

[ ] Make instruments

[ ] Homemade ice cream

[ ] Flashlight tag and night games

[ ] Lemonade stand

[ ] Garage sales – have or go

[ ] Go to a free concert

[ ] Scavenger hunt

[ ] Car wash

[ ] Roast hot dogs up the canyon

[ ] Relay race

[ ] Magnifying glass exploring

[ ] Science day

[ ] Career day field trips

[ ] Cardboard Crafts

[ ] Slime/goop

my only requirement is that we get our chores done before we do the fun stuff.  Hopefully this will be so fun, they won't complain!!  We will see...

Our new abode

I have been wanting to do this since we moved in so those of you who can't visit could get an idea of where we live now.  I had a few helpers to model in most of the room shots.  All I can say is that this is a big house!

This is the computer room...and the homework room.  Right off the main entrance.  We do "power hour" right after school here. 

 This is the downstairs "great room"  As you can see we have it filled with toys already.  There is also a kitchenette right behind the camera.

 Here is Tina's room.  She has added personality to the cork board behind the door.

 Braden's room is right beside Tina's downstairs.

 This is the bathroom downstairs with a shower.

 Here are the cabinets in the downstairs bathroom.

 This is an awesome food pantry downstairs

 This is the magnormous heater.  If you couldn't tell already, it's an old house, and the bills reflect that!

 Brooklyn and Cole share this room upstairs.  They each have their own closet:)

 This is the "great room" upstairs, and believe me it really is great - our kids call it the off-limits room, but they don't follow their own rules:)

 Here is the front.  You'd never guess from the front at how big it really is.

 This is the backyard complete with a tire swing and drinking fountain.  I love all the mature trees and the covered patio!!

 Here is Dave's "man-cave"  His dad is jealous:)

 Here is the drinking fountain...crazy huh?  Dave wants to fill it with Mountain Dew ha ha.

 This is a little closet in the garage for camping and bike stuff

 The garage...

 Our master bedroom.  Enjoy the fushia carpets.

 Dave said this toilet looks like it was made for an elf!  And you gotta love the color.  It matches the bathtub and sink.  Definately a different era.

 This is the kids bathroom.  We have to shower here.

 This is the master bath.

 This is the laundry room right off the kitchen.  It was downstairs with the furnace room, but I asked if we could move it upstairs.  The landlords are very accomodating!

 This is the kitchen.  If you look really closely, you can see a knob on the drawer under the sink.  That is how to turn on the garbage disposal.

 The dining room...

 I love the glass knick knack shelf with mug holders.

And here is another shot of the kitchen. 

Well, there you go, hopefully you get the idea:)  We really enjoy living here and are glad to be back by family.  It's a little surreal at how blessed we have been.  But we do miss all our friends in Colorado!!  That was a fun adventure:)